Gaza – Ma‘an – The Palestinian Legislative Council is scheduled to hold a session on Sunday to vote on confidence for the new Palestinian government headed by caretaker Prime Minister, Salam Fayyad.
The Fatah bloc intends to boycott the session unless it is held as a second session, which according to Palestinian basic law, must begin with the election of a new presidency for the PLC.
"This step must be taken, according to the law, before voting on confidence for the caretaker government," said the PLC member Faysal Abu Shahla.
The head of Fatah bloc in the PLC, Azzam Al-Ahmad, told reporters, "The call for the PLC session by its acting speaker, Ahmad Bahar, which reflects Hamas‘ standpoint, contravenes the presidential decree that recommended the opening of a new round for the PLC after the government‘s four-month extension has expired."
Al-Ahmad accused the Hamas bloc of undermining Palestinian basic law and paralyzing the PLC.
The PLC has been unable to hold a session since the internecine fighting in the Gaza Strip. The PLC membership has also been decimated by the detention of 45 Hamas members in Israeli prisons.
Fayyad‘s government needs 67 of 132 votes in order to be given confidence by the PLC.
Marginalization
PLC member, Mustafa Barghouthi, affirmed that he will take part in Sunday‘s vote-of-confidence session.
Barghouthi called on the Hamas and Fatah movements to stop boycotting sessions in order to avoid marginalizing the role of the PLC.
He added that the Palestinian caretaker government needs to be given confidence by the PLC so as to be able to practice its constitutional duties.