Palestinian Parliament Vote-of-Confidence Session Fails, Due to Israeli Detention of 45 Members, and Factional Boycott 

PLC vote-of-confidence session fails 

Date: 22 / 07 / 2007 Time: 13:43

Bethlehem - Ma'an – 

The Palestinian Legislative Council was scheduled to hold a session on Sunday to vote on confidence for the new Palestinian government headed by caretaker Prime Minister, Salam Fayyad. But for the third time in two weeks, the PLC failed to convene as a result of the boycott of factional blocs, and it remained bound by the Hamas-Fateh disagreement.

The session was called by acting PLC speaker, Ahmad Bahar, from the Hamas bloc.

Bahar called upon the Palestinian president to entrust another figure to compose a new emergency government. He said that Fayyad's government has completed its legal term, and subsequently, President Abbas must entrust a new Prime Minister to form a government within two weeks.

The Secretary-General of the PLC, Ibrahim Khureisha, told Ma'an on Sunday that after the previous round, it became impossible to hold PLC sessions, especially after Hamas rejected the presidential appeal to begin a new round.

Khureisha said that the exceptional session, which acting speaker Ahmad Bahar called, is illegal.

He says that in order for the PLC to resume its performance legally, a new administrative entity should be elected. Furthermore, the Palestinian president must deliver an inaugural address at the opening ceremony of the new round of PLC sessions.

The previous four-month PLC round expired on the 4th of July. It should have expired in March, but President Abbas extended it for an additional four months.

In light of the inactivity of the PLC, the basic law authorizes the Palestinian president to issue decrees which are binding by law.

"The president can simply give confidence to the caretaker government," explained the Secretary-General of the PLC.

He added that the emergency government, chaired by Salam Fayyad, can continue to perform as a caretaker government until a constitutional solution out of the impasse is found.

Boycott

Earlier on Sunday it was reported that the Fateh bloc intended to boycott the session unless it was 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 Fateh 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 needed 67 of 132 votes in order to be given confidence by the PLC.

Marginalization

PLC member, Mustafa Barghouthi, announced earlier on Sunday that it was integral that PLC members attended the session.

Barghouthi called on the Hamas and Fateh 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.

Israeli occupation forces kidnap second deputy of the PLC en route to vote-of-confidence session 

Date: 22 / 07 / 2007 Time: 13:32

Bethlehem – Ma'an – 

Israeli occupation forces on Sunday kidnapped the second deputy of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Dr. Hassan Khuraisha, and detained him for more that an hour at 'Atara checkpoint, north of Ramallah, in the central West Bank.

Dr. Khuraisha was en route to Ramallah to attend the vote-of-confidence session for the Palestinian government. The Israeli occupation soldiers stopped the PLC deputy for inspection and subsequently confiscated his papers and documents relating to then PLC.

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