Abbas, Mashaal fail to agree on unity government
Leaders of PA rival factions Hamas and Fatah meet in Damascus in bid to end showdown, agree to reject idea of transitional Palestinian state
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas’ exiled chief failed on Sunday to resolve an increasingly bitter dispute and form a unity government.
But Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal, who met in Damascus, said the two sides would resume discussions in the near future.
“There are still points of disagreement, but we will try to resolve them through a national dialogue until we form a national unity government,” Mashaal said during a joint press conference with Abbas in the Syrian capital.
The Palestinian president said the two also discussed ways to bring the Palestine Liberation Organization’s institutions back into action, adding that they agreed to reject the idea of a transitional Palestinian state and end the infighting in the Authority.
Following the meeting Palestinian Legislative Council member Ziad Abu Amro, who is mediating between the sides, said there was progress in talks on the establishment of a unity government and that it may be formed within the next two weeks.
Israel is closely following Abbas’ visit to Damascus. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is aware that talks between Hamas and Fatah may advance the release of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, but the fact that the Abbas-Mashaal meeting took place only a day after Israel agreed to allocate USD 100 million in frozen funds to the Authority may hurt the government’s position.
Prior to the meeting Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas said there would be no new crisis if there was no full agreement.
"Ninety percent of the issues have been agreed upon. The remaining issues include those relating to the political agenda and key ministries," Haniyeh told reporters in Gaza.
"With a more focused and comprehensive dialogue, we will be able to reach final understandings that will prepare the ground for the formation of a national unity government," he said.
Syrian mediation
A meeting scheduled for late on Saturday was postponed after officials failed to reconcile differences over the new government and how it would deal with Western demands.
A power struggle between Hamas and Abbas' Fatah faction has led to violence in Gaza and the West Bank after talks on forming a unity government broke down late last year and Abbas called for fresh elections.
A senior Palestinian official in Gaza said on Sunday Hamas had agreed to give up the Interior Ministry to an independent personality, and that the Finance Ministry would go to Salam Fayyad, an independent.
"The discussions are now focused on whether Hamas will use the word 'respect' agreements between the PLO and Israel or 'will be committed to' agreements," the official, who asked not to be identified, said the official.
Abbas arrived in Damascus on Saturday and met Syrian President Bashar Assad, who has close ties with Meshaal and allows the Hamas exiled leadership to live in Syria.
