Abbas may head Palestinian interim government – PLO member

GAZA. February 6. KAZINFORM Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas chief Khalid Meshaal during a meeting in Doha agreed to form an interim government headed by Abbas, Wassel Abu Yousef, a member of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), said in an interview with Voice of Palestine Radio; Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti.

"Both sides reached an agreement on all major issues including the formation of an interim government that will be responsible for parliamentary and presidential elections and the reconciliation agreement," Yousef said during the meeting on Sunday.

Abbas will also head the Fatah movement and the PLO Executive Committee, which is the highest Palestinian authority.

According to the radio station, talks on the details of the agreement between the leaders of Fatah and Hamas are currently underway.

Yousef said that it was necessary to make an amendment to the Constitution of the autonomy that comes under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Legislative Council, which has no effect since 2007 because of the confrontation between Hamas and Fatah.

He added that this agreement should be accepted by all Palestinian factions during a meeting of all Palestinian leaders that is scheduled for the middle of February.

After the rival factions Fatah and Hamas signed a reconciliation deal in May 2011, they agreed to form a unity government of independent candidates, to hold general elections in Palestine and to release political prisoners from Gaza and the West Bank.

In December 2011, Abbas and Mashaal ratified the agreement on inter-Palestinian reconciliation.

However the agreement has been suspended because of disagreements on the interim government and issues related to the release of political prisoners; Kazinform cites RIA Novosti.

To learn more go to www.en.rian.ru