PA UNITY GOVT. FACES LAST-MINUTE HITCH
RAMALLAH — Efforts to form a Palestinian unity government have
been hampered by both militia factions and the international community.
Officials said the Palestinian Authority has failed to win agreement
from Fatah and Hamas for a national unity government. They said the main
difficulty has been the refusal of the United States to support such a
coalition.
"We've run out of money," a PA official said. "Without money, there's no
point in any government."
[On Monday, Palestinian gunners fired two Kassam-class, short-range
missiles into Israel. Nobody was injured. On Sunday, an Israeli was injured
when two missiles struck the southern city of Sderot near the Gaza Strip.]
On Sunday, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas suspended negotiations on a
Palestinian unity government. Abbas aides cited a Hamas statement that the
Islamic movement would not honor any interim peace accord with Israel.
But PA officials said the real reason for the delay was Abbas's failed
efforts to win international support for the proposed unity government. They
said the key to the PA campaign would be Abbas's scheduled meeting with U.S.
President George Bush in New York on Sept. 21.
"There is an agreement between myself and President Abbas to resume the
dialogue when he comes back," Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said. "It seems
that statements were made by some people who do not want to see formation of
the national unity government."
The launch of the Fatah-Hamas government was meant to coincide with a
prisoner exchange with Israel. Under the deal, Hamas would release an
abducted Israeli corporal and the Jewish state would free about 800
Palestinian prisoners. On Monday, the PA-owned daily Al Ayyam said Israel,
through intermediaries, sent a message to Hamas leader Khaled Masha'al in
Damascus that outlined the Israeli offer.
Officials said Abbas would seek an immediate injection of at least $250
million in 2006. They said the chairman wanted to ensure that PA employees
would receive their back pay from this year.
On Sept. 11, Fatah and Hamas were said to have agreed to a national
unity program. The program was said to involve Hamas's agreement not to
oppose accords with Israel.
But the State Department has determined that the unity government
program has failed to fulfill the demands by the so-called Quartet,
composed of the European Union, Russia, United Nations and United States.
The conditions include PA recognition of Israel and the acceptance of the
interim peace accords.
On Monday, the Al Quds daily reported that the United States warned
Abbas not to form a government with Hamas unless the conditions of the
Quartet were fulfilled. The Palestinian newspaper asserted that the Bush
administration would boycott any Fatah minister, as well as Abbas himself,
in the Hamas-controlled coalition.
