Aziz Dweik, Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), called on the European Union yesterday to reconsider its decision to suspend financial aid to the Hamas-led government.

Dweik, who is a member of Hamas, told a PLC session held in both Gaza City and the West Bank town Ramallah via the videoconference system that he hoped a rapid change to the EU stance. Fatah spokesman in the PLC Azzam Al-Ahmed told reporters that the former ruling party rejected the EU decision to cut of ffinancial aid.

Al-Ahmed said the EU decision "is a mistake that punishes the Palestinians for exercising their right to choose their leaders."

Foreign ministers of the 25-nation EU endorsed on Monday the decision of the European Commission, the executive arm of the EU,to suspend financial aid to the Palestinian government after Hamas refused to renounce violence and recognize Israel's right to exist. Hamas, which is committed to Israel's destruction, took office on March 29 after it won the Jan. 25 Palestinian legislative election.