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| Hamas Rejects US Initiative to Form Emergency Gov't |
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The Palestinian government led by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) rejected yesterday a peace initiative presented by a former US peace envoy. The initiative calls for the Palestinians to form a new emergency government that excludes rivals Hamas and Fatah movements, but includes technocrats and independents. Dennis Ross, the US envoy to the Middle East peace process during the Clinton administration, presented his initiative with the hope to overcome a worsening fiscal, political and security crisis in the Gaza Strip. However, Palestinian cabinet spokesman Ghazi Hamad described the initiative as "unworkable," saying that "it seems the Palestinian accounts and equations are not being considered by Mr. Ross." Hamad said that "Excluding Hamas and Fatah, the largest groups in the Palestinian political arena, would not be useful, especially as Hamas won the elections with an overwhelming victory." He clarified that such a move would be "illogical because the percentage the other parties received in the elections was very weak and they have no wide support in the street." Hamad also rejected Ross' suggestions in the initiative that Muhammed Dahlan, a senior Fatah official, assumes the security in the new emergency government. Dahlan is a lawmaker in the Palestinian Legislative Council representing Fatah Movement and also a former minister of interior and civil affairs. On January 25, Hamas hit rival long-dominant Fatah Movement in the second Palestinian parliamentary elections. Its victory enabled Hamas to form its own government without any participation from other factions. When the Hamas-led government took office in late March, the other factions said they didn't join the government, owing differences over the political vision of the government. The same political vision encouraged Western donors to suspend their aid and monthly payments to the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) since Hamas refused to renounce violence, recognize Israel and honor peace deals. Western sanctions made Hamas unable to pay salaries for 160.000 public servants. (Xinhua News Agency July 12, 2006)
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