Palestinian designated Prime Minister Ismail Haneya of Hamas said
yesterday that the second round of talks to form the Palestinian national unity
government to begin.
Haneya made the announcement when he was speaking ahead of a meeting for the
Hamas-led caretaker government in Gaza.
He said that the second phase would include discussions to select the new
ministers and to agree on the final makeup of the cabinet.
The designated Prime Minister said he ended talks with all Palestinian
factions, powers and militant groups and explained latest power-sharing deal
reached in Mecca between the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and rival Fatah
movement.
According to the deal, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas asked Haneya to
form the eleventh government that is hoped to overcome aid embargo applied by
the West to the outgoing Hamas administration.
The international sanctions made the government unable to pay for almost
165,000 public servants.
Abbas has just ended an European tour to promote Mecca deal and is scheduled
to return to the Palestinian territories in two days after paying a visit to the
United Arab Emirates.
Haneya said he would meet Abbas as soon as the latter arrive in Gaza to put
the final touches on the expected government and see the results of Abbas' tour.
Salah al-Bardaweel, a senior Hamas lawmaker, told reporters in the day that
the new government is likely to be put for parliamentary voting next week.