Ramallah - Ma'an - The new Palestinian national unity government will be announced by the end of November, the Palestinian Legislative Council member and head of the Palestinian National Initiative, Mustapha Barghouthi, declared on Tuesday.
In a press conference held at the Ramattan news agency in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Barghouthi denied that the talks regarding the new government had failed. He said, 'The talks are still ongoing at the highest level. Haniyeh, and the presidential advisor, Abu Rdainah, have confirmed this'.
Barghouthi accused those people who publish such news of trying to frustrate the formation of such a government.
The PLC member also said that there are some issues causing delays and that time is needed to overcome these obstacles. He also said that it is necessary to know that the guarantees to lift the siege are genuine.
Barghouthi clarified that the steps which have been taken to form a new government are supported by the Arabs, as well as the US administration. He said that this is clear from the contacts made by the president.
Barghouthi said that the recent talks have concentrated on the importance of releasing the Palestinian legislators, in addition to other issues such as the other Palestinian prisoners and a truce in order to end the suffering of our people. He accused factions of failing to recognize the importance of lifting the suffering which the Palestinians are facing, and the need to be flexible regarding this.
Barghouthi spoke in an optimistic way about the efforts to form a new government, which he said would be announced by the end of November. 'The atmosphere is positive, as everyone is looking for common ground,' he said. He stressed that the efforts taken have been by all the factions, not any one in particular.
In addition, he said that there is no disagreement about the name of the next prime minister, and the distribution of the ministerial posts will reflect the election results.