Abbas to Dissolve Hamas-Dominated  Palestinian Parliament After Session Suspension Due to Lack of Quorum 

PLC suspends session due to lack of quorum

Date: 11 / 07 / 2007 Time: 13:18

Ramallah - Ma'an - 

The Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) suspended its Wednesday session because not enough deputies were present, it was announced earlier. The meeting had been called by President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss the state of the emergency government and the latest developments in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The PLC started the session on Wednesday morning with only 41 members in attendance, short of the 67 needed for a quorum. The absence of 45 others forced an end to the session after only half an hour.

Fateh blamed Hamas for the suspension of proceedings. PLC Fateh bloc leader Azzam Al-Ahmad said: "Hamas members closed the PLC in Gaza and banned the Fatah PLC members from entering. The PLC was closed by Executive Force militias under orders from deputy speaker Ahmad Bahar." Al-Ahmad gave the names of many of the PLC members whom he said were prevented from entering. Al-Ahmad also condemned Hamas' actions, calling them "sabotage".

Ma'an learned that three of the banned members intend to hold a press conference later in the day, Wednesday.

Earlier Wednesday, Deputy PLC Speaker Ahmad Bahar held a press conference in which he presented the reasons for the Hamas boycott of the session.

Hamas PLC bloc spokesman Salah Bardawil said that his group considers the convening of the session following Israel's arrest of 42 Hamas-affiliated PLC members as "illegal".

After the session was suspended, the second deputy speaker, Hassan Khraisha, told Ma'an that the session was suspended "because the quorum was incomplete."

"The session will be suspended for one week, in accordance with the law," Khraisha continued.

"If it will not be convened within one week, the PLC will become ineffective, and in that case, it is the right of the president to issue the laws by decree," Khraisha added. Furthermore, Abbas would become "authorized to take on some of the authorities which are not found in the Basic Law," Khraisha warned.

Khraisha added that if the PLC becomes "ineffective," as described above, "the president takes on the PLC's authorities, but the PLC has to discuss the decisions made by the president in the first ordinary session to be held [after the end of such a state]."

Khraisha also appealed for keeping the PLC separate from factional differences and not make the PLC "a hostage to such differences."

Ash Sharq Al Awsat: Abbas intends to dissolve the PLC, form new PLO-enhanced government 

Date: 11 / 07 / 2007 Time: 12:53

Bethlehem - Ma'an - 

The London-based Arabic-language newspaper 'Ash Sharq Al Awsat' has reported from a well-informed Palestinian source that claims that Palestinian Authority President Abbas intends to declare the emergency government the ruling government until new PLC elections are held.

The decision on when the Palestinian Legislative Council elections will be held will be made on Friday, because then the thirty day legal period for the emergency government, which Abbas formed on June, 14th, will come to an end.

The source added that it is possible that Abbas will announce the dissolving of the PLC because it cannot convene with the necessary quorum. Instead, Abbas may commission the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Commission and the PLO Central Council as the basis of the new government.

According to the paper, Abbas has asked the prime minister of the emergency government, Salam Fayyad, to start talks with the representatives of the factions who wish to join the new government. The object of these negotiations is to include as many as possible, if not all, of the Palestinian political factions, except Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

It is said that Fayyad will try and get former foreign minister Ziad Abu Amr (independent) and former minister of culture Bassam As Salhi (from the Palestinian People's Party) on board as well.

The source declared as well that Abbas' aides are researching the possibility of making amendments to the Basic Law, so that only PLO factions can participate in the new PLC. This would prevent Hamas and Islamic Jihad from being elected to the new, amended PLC.

PLC members are expecting Abbas and the PLO Executive Committee to have a public referendum to decide whether the PLC should be disbanded and early elections called.

In related news, Israeli radio revealed on Sunday that Abbas' aides have appealed to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert not to release Hamas PLC members, as this step may pose difficulties for Abbas' maneuvers.

In reaction, the Hamas PLC member Yahia Moussa said that his movement would take steps and measures to counter those of Abbas and Olmert. Moussa hinted at the idea of obtaining the power of attorney from the many Hamas PLC members currently detained in Israeli jails, thereby transferring their power to vote to other Hamas members.

In such a way, alternative Hamas members could physically attend PLC sessions and participate in voting. As a result, the PLC would achieve the necessary quorum, including the elected number of Hamas members.

Abbas is authorized, in his capacity as president of the Palestinian Authority, to assign an emergency government without the PLC's consent, Palestinian lawmakers told Reuters on Monday.

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