RAMALLAH, West Bank (Agencies)
Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad resigned from his post Saturday to pave the way for the formation of a national unity government and reconciliation with Hamas.
"Prime Minister Salam Fayyad has submitted his resignation from the government of president Mahmud Abbas. This resignation will take effect following the formation of a national unity government by the end of this month," said a statement from his office.
" We consider that the positive climate seen in the first round of dialogue offers an opportunity that has to be exploited to put an end to divisions " Salam Fayyad But shortly after the prime minister's brief written statement, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah told reporters he had asked Fayyad to "continue with his work until we see the results" of Egyptian-sponsored talks between the rivals over forming a new unity government.
Fayyad, a politically independent former World Bank economist, was appointed prime minister following the Hamas movement’s takeover of the Gaza Strip in June 2007, which cleaved the Palestinians into two hostile camps.
The two sides met with other Palestinian factions in Cairo on Feb. 26 to launch a reconciliation process aimed at forming a national unity government in the wake of Israel's massive offensive against Gaza at the turn of the year.
They agreed to form five committees to oversee the creation of a government that would supervise Gaza reconstruction efforts and prepare for fresh presidential and parliamentary elections in January 2010.
"We consider that the positive climate seen in the first round of dialogue offers an opportunity that has to be exploited to put an end to divisions and as a basis on which to reach unity and reconciliation," Fayyad's office stated.
However the European Union and the United States continue to blacklist Hamas as a terrorist organization and in the past have boycotted any Palestinian government that includes the group. |
Fatah and Hamas have long been rivals but their feuding came to a head in June 2007 The Palestinians last formed a unity government in March 2007, but it was boycotted by the international community because it included Hamas and came to an end three months later with the Hamas takeover of Gaza.
Reconciliation talks were expected to resume next week in Cairo. Palestinian officials and Western diplomats said it was unclear whether Fatah, which dominates the occupied West Bank, and the Hamas Islamist group, which controls the Gaza Strip, can narrow their differences and form a unity coalition acceptable to the United States and other Western powers.
In his more than 18 months as premier Fayyad has won praise from
Western and Israeli leaders for spearheading political and economic
reforms and launching a security crackdown in the Israeli-occupied
West Bank.
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner welcomed Fayyad's decision, calling him "a great prime minister" and a "man of conviction and action." |
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Hamas “not sorry” " This is the end we expected because this government is Illegitimate and illegal and built on failed and mistaken policies connected to American agendas " Fawzi Barhum Hamas, which won an upset victory in parliamentary elections in 2006, never recognized the independent Fayyad-led government appointed after its takeover of Gaza and has long criticized Fayyad, accusing him of doing America's bidding.
"Hamas is not sorry to see the resignation of Fayyad and his government," Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum said.
"This is the end we expected because this government is Illegitimate and illegal and built on failed and mistaken policies connected to American agendas," he said.
In his more than 18 months as prime minister, Fayyad has won praise from Western leaders for spearheading economic reforms and a security crackdown in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
He had sought to lead postwar reconstruction efforts in Gaza as well, and developed a plan for rebuilding that won pledges of some 4.5 billion dollars from the international community at a conference in Egypt last week.
The United States pledged $900 million, but Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said it would take measures to ensure it did not fall into the "wrong hands," an allusion to Hamas.
She also said during a visit to the region last week that Washington would have nothing to do with a Palestinian unity government that included Hamas until it renounces violence and recognizes Israel and past peace deals.
The devastating three-week Israeli offensive in December and January killed more than 1,300 Palestinians and flattened large swathes of the impoverished territory, which has been under a crippling Israeli blockade since Hamas took over. |
