Hamas and Fatah leaders are due to meet on Tuesday in order to discuss the selection of the prime minister of a united government stated a Fatah official on Monday. The Ma’an news agency reported that Jamal Muhesin, a member of Fatah central committee said that Azzam al-Ahmad, leader of Fatah’s reconciliation delegation, will discuss potential candidates with deputy-chief of Hamas’ politburo – Moussa Abu Marzouq. Their recommendations will then be handed over to President Mahmoud Abbas who is also the Fatah leader and Hamas chief, Khalid Mashaal.
Abbas and Mashaal will discuss the potential candidates with other fractions before making a decision by the 20th of June. This will be followed by a legislative council meeting which will be issued by Abbas.
A united government made up of independent technocrats from both the West Bank and Gaza will be led by the new prime minister. The government is expected to overlook the up-coming elections. The new government is also in charge of the restoration of Gaza, implementation of the reconciliation agreement between the two sides and the reunification of state institutions.
A reconciliation treaty was signed by Hamas and Fatah in May 2011, in Cairo. Agreements regarding a technocratic government to overlook elections were also part of talks in Cairo in May 2011.
On May 28 2012, the Central Elections Commission (CEC) was given permission to start working towards the upcoming elections in Gaza. Allowing the CEC work in Gaza was a condition set by Abbas before beginning any consultations regarding forming a unity government.
Hamas leaders in Gaza rejected a previous agreement between Mashaal and Abbas made in February in Doha that allowed Abbas to be prime minister in the new government.
Aggression between Fatah and Hamas took a turn for the worst in 2007. Hamas has been ruling Gaza while Fatah has been ruling the West Bank through the PA ever since. People hope that this time the aggression between the two factions will actually come to an end.
