Hamas MPs urge end to Fatah deal

GAZA CITY - Agence France-Presse

MPs of the Hamas majority in the Palestinian parliament called yesterday for the scrapping of a reconciliation accord with Fatah on constitutional grounds.

 “After examining the question of Mahmud Abbas taking on the premiership as well as the presidency” and consultation with judicial experts, such a scenario was found to be contrary to the Basic Law, 31 MPs said in a statement. It said after a meeting in parliament in Gaza City that the Basic Law calls for separation of the two posts, in contrast to Fatah which denies any violation of the law.

“On this basis, we call for all the signatory parties and the sponsor of the Palestinian reconciliation to reconsider and to respect the Basic Law,” said the MPs of the Islamist movement which holds 74 seats in the 132-member parliament Palestinian president Abbas, who also heads Fatah, and Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal signed an accord in Doha Feb. 6 placing Abbas at the head of an interim consensus government to supervise the run-up to elections.