The Fatah-controlled Palestinian Parliament boosted President
Mahmoud Abbas's powers Monday in what Hamas officials said was a
last-minute bid to keep them in check after a sweeping election
victory.
Hamas said it had chosen one of its leaders to be the next
Palestinian prime minister, but refused to name him and said it was
poised for formal talks with other factions on forming a national
unity government.
Fatah lawmakers, in their final act before ceding to a new,
Hamas-led parliament on Saturday, approved an amendment to an
existing law which will give Abbas the authority to appoint judges
to the Palestinian constitutional court without seeking legislative
approval.
The outcome of the vote could be significant because judges on
the court would have sweeping powers to decide whether laws
approved by parliament are constitutional.
Fatah has a better chance of prevailing in the court if Abbas, a
moderate who advocates peace with Israel, stacks it with
loyalists.
Abbas's long-dominant Fatah faction was trounced in the January
25 parliamentary election by Hamas, an Islamic militant group
dedicated to Israel's destruction and popular among Palestinians
for its anti-corruption reputation.
A Hamas prime minister could complicate any Middle East peace
efforts because Israel and the United States have said they will
not talk with members of the group until it renounces violence and
recognizes Israel.
Abbas has good relations with Washington and would be expected
to take the lead in any future peace negotiations.
The new law was approved by a vote of 41 to three with one
abstention, despite protests from Hamas members in attendance as
observers before they are sworn in.
Tensions flare
Some of Hamas's newly elected parliamentarians shouted at Fatah
lawmakers after the vote, accusing them of overstepping their
authority and trying to undo the election.
"This law means giving full powers to President Abbas to
dissolve parliament any time he wishes," said Hamas's Abdel-Aziz
Dweik, who was elected to represent the West Bank city of
Hebron.
Dweik said parliament had taken an "illegal" action, but
acknowledged it would be difficult for Hamas to reverse the
decision since doing so would require a two-thirds vote.
Palestinian negotiator and Fatah lawmaker Saeb Erekat countered
that the changes "strengthen the separation of powers between the
judicial branch, the executive and the legislative branch." "This
is a legal session... We are not conspiring against anybody. We are
simply doing our jobs," Erekat said.
Before the amendment, the law required parliament to approve
presidential appointments to the judiciary.
In Gaza, several sources close to the Hamas's deliberations for
a new prime minister said Ismail Haniyeh, head of its parliamentary
slate, was a top contender for the post.
Haniyeh is a pragmatist who survived an Israeli air strike in
2003 targeting Hamas' leadership. But his militant background could
be a further provocation to the United States.
Hamas has masterminded nearly 60 suicide bombings against
Israelis since a Palestinian uprising began in 2000, but has
largely adhered to a truce declared last March.
(China Daily February 14, 2006)
