Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud ‘Abbas on Friday tasked P.A. Prime Minister Salam Faya’d with forming a new, official government to replace the current caretaker cabinet, sources in Ramallah have confirmed.
The new cabinet is expected to include 24 ministers rather than the 16 serving in the administration that was formed after the Hamas takeover of Gaza last June, after ’Abbas declared a state of emergency and sacked the Hamas-led government in retaliation for its “military coup” in Gaza.
Expected to be sworn in next week the new cabinet will include several Fatah officials, who will either hold new portfolios or replace the current technocratic ministers, such as ministers of information and justice Riad Al-Malki and Ali Khashan.
During a meeting at ‘Abbas’ office in Ramallah two days ago, ‘Abbas and Faya’d agreed that the new government would work to end the Israeli siege on Gaza and closely pursue the ongoing peace talks with Israel.
Other sources said that the formation of the new cabinet came as a result of the mounting pressure on ’Abbas by the Fatah central committee to disrupt what they referred to as Faya’d’s plans to run for the next presidential elections.
A U.S.-educated technocrat, Faya’d was finance minister in the sacked Hamas-led government and is widely respected in the Western community.
According to the basic law, which serves as the P.A. constitution, the new cabinet needs the approval of two-thirds of the parliament, which is controlled by Hamas. However, since Israel arrested most of Hamas’ deputies last year, the parliament has been paralyzed.
It is expected, therefore, that the government will be presented and approved by the P.A. chairman only.