Senior Hamas official: Unity gov't deal near

Moussa Abu Marzouk confirms agreement between Hamas, Fatah within sight, including name of Hamas candidate to replace current prime minister Haniyeh

Roee Nahmias|Published: 11.11.06 , 16:21

A senior Hamas official has said that a deal between his group and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on forming a national unity government was near, adding that an agreement on the name of the new prime minister has been reached.

"There is some progress on this issue and in the next days, God willing, the remaining outstanding issues will be resolved," Moussa Abu Marzouk, deputy leader of Hamas' political bureau in Syria, said late Friday.

He spoke following talks he held in Damascus with Farouk Qaddumi, the head of the Palestine Liberation Organization's political wing. Abu Marzouk said Abbas and Hamas officials have agreed on the name of the candidate for the Palestinian prime minister.

Abu Marzouk confirmed that the candidate is a well-known Palestinian personality, but declined to disclose the his name, saying: "It will be disclosed at the suitable time."

"All the measures undertaken by Hamas aim at breaking the siege on the Palestinian people, otherwise there would be no need for (government) change," Abu Marzouk said.

Fatah confirms two sides close to agreement

Fatah faction leader Azzam al-Ahmed told Palestinian news agency Ramaten that the two sides are close to an agreement barring any "surprises from Hamas."

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Saturday that he expected to form a unity government with the rival Hamas faction this month in the hope of lifting a Western aid embargo.

"I announce to our people the happy news that we have achieved great progress on the path to establishing a national unity government that can end the siege and open the way toward a political settlement," Abbas said in a speech marking the second anniversary of the death of his predecessor, Yasser Arafat.

"I expect that, God willing, this government will see the light of day before the end of this month," he said.

"Any political program that is not based on the national program that was endorsed by popular consensus, and enjoyed international as well as Arab support, will only give a pretext to Israel to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state and to refuse to withdraw from our land," he said.

Haniyeh to step down

The comments were pursuant to Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh's announcement on Friday that would be willing to sacrifice his job if the international community would lift economic sanctions that have crippled his Hamas-led government.

Haniyeh added that negotiations with Fatah would resume, after a cessation caused by the civilian deaths in Beit Hanoun. He posited that an agreement could be reached within two or three weeks.

His statement was the latest indication that Hamas was indeed nearing a deal to form a national unity government with Abbas' moderate Fatah Party that would be made up of independent experts.

Nonetheless, Haniyeh emphasized that even within the confines of a new government, "there would be no concessions", namely Hamas' refusal to recognize Israel would not change.

Israel has cautiously welcomed Abbas's efforts, though it insists that any new Palestinian government must recognize Israel's right to exist and renounce violence -- preconditions set by Western power-brokers -- before peace talks can begin.

"There is hope for the moderates, those who believe in a two-state solution," Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said on Friday.

She added that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is interested in meeting Abbas in order to advance the issue of a unity government. The idea is to strengthen Abbas' position in order to send a message to Palestinian moderates that there is an alternative to the Hamas way, she said.