If siege is not lifted, PA may be dissolved, Abbas may resign
May 4, 2007
Bethlehem - Ma'an - Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said on Thursday that the dissolution of the Palestinian Authority is one of several future scenarios that will be discussed if the international siege on the Palestinian people continues.
In the first edition of a new newspaper, 'Palestine', which is published in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh stressed that there is no current thinking to dissolve the government and establish a new government. "The alternative would be the complete collapse of the Authority," he said.
Meanwhile, according to Reuters news agency, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) told allies on Thursday he might resign in two months if Western sanctions on the Palestinian government were not lifted, a senior official said on Friday.
"In the next two months, if the siege is not lifted, then Abu Mazen may resign," the official, a leading figure in Abbas's Fatah faction, told Reuters.
Such a move would increase pressure on Western powers, which are keen to bolster Abbas as a counterbalance to Haniyeh, who was elected prime minister in 2006, representing Hamas.
Reuters said it is unclear "whether resigning is a serious option under consideration by Abbas or merely a negotiating gambit."
Abbas' resignation could lead to a violent confrontation between the rival factions, Fatah and Hamas.
"He is very frustrated at the continuation of the siege. He hoped by forming the unity government the sanctions would be eased. That is not happening. He is very frustrated," a Fatah official told Reuters.
Palestinian information minister Dr. Mustafa Al-Barghouthi warned in Damascus last week that the collapse of the PA is possible.
He said in a press conference with Arab and international media that the alternative to the national unity government would not be another government but the collapse of the whole PA.
"The Palestinian government is a national unity government that does not accept division, discrimination and selectivity. It works as one team," Barghouthi said. "It will not accept the attempts to make the government fail."
Barghouthi demanded that the siege of the Palestinian people be lifted immediately because, "despite our success at making political advancements, the economic siege still exists." He also accused the Arab states of "not carrying out the decisions that they made after the Mecca agreement or in the last summit in Riyadh regarding the lifting of the siege of our people and providing financial support for the national authority."
He also demanded that aid be sent directly to the Palestinian ministry of finance, urging the world to end its silence and put pressure on Israel to release the salaries and money of the Palestinian people, which are estimated at around 600 million US dollars.
In the first edition of a new newspaper, 'Palestine', which is published in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh stressed that there is no current thinking to dissolve the government and establish a new government. "The alternative would be the complete collapse of the Authority," he said.
Meanwhile, according to Reuters news agency, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) told allies on Thursday he might resign in two months if Western sanctions on the Palestinian government were not lifted, a senior official said on Friday.
"In the next two months, if the siege is not lifted, then Abu Mazen may resign," the official, a leading figure in Abbas's Fatah faction, told Reuters.
Such a move would increase pressure on Western powers, which are keen to bolster Abbas as a counterbalance to Haniyeh, who was elected prime minister in 2006, representing Hamas.
Reuters said it is unclear "whether resigning is a serious option under consideration by Abbas or merely a negotiating gambit."
Abbas' resignation could lead to a violent confrontation between the rival factions, Fatah and Hamas.
"He is very frustrated at the continuation of the siege. He hoped by forming the unity government the sanctions would be eased. That is not happening. He is very frustrated," a Fatah official told Reuters.
Palestinian information minister Dr. Mustafa Al-Barghouthi warned in Damascus last week that the collapse of the PA is possible.
He said in a press conference with Arab and international media that the alternative to the national unity government would not be another government but the collapse of the whole PA.
"The Palestinian government is a national unity government that does not accept division, discrimination and selectivity. It works as one team," Barghouthi said. "It will not accept the attempts to make the government fail."
Barghouthi demanded that the siege of the Palestinian people be lifted immediately because, "despite our success at making political advancements, the economic siege still exists." He also accused the Arab states of "not carrying out the decisions that they made after the Mecca agreement or in the last summit in Riyadh regarding the lifting of the siege of our people and providing financial support for the national authority."
He also demanded that aid be sent directly to the Palestinian ministry of finance, urging the world to end its silence and put pressure on Israel to release the salaries and money of the Palestinian people, which are estimated at around 600 million US dollars.
Labels: Palestine
posted by HRM Deborah of Israel and the Messenger of Peace at 1:28 AM
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