Fateh suspends its role in the government until fighting ceases, Hamas accuses Fatah of political blackmailing 

Date: 13 / 06 / 2007 Time: 09:46

Bethlehem - Ma'an - 

The Fateh central committee has decided to suspend its ministers' participation in the national unity government until there is an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the internal fighting stops.

In a statement issued after an emergency three-hour meeting on Tuesday, the committee urged the Palestinian Authority and Fateh members to frustrate "the attempted coup" led by some members in the Hamas movement.

The committee also said that it would be holding continuous meetings in order to discuss the latest development in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas: decision is "political blackmailing"

The Hamas movement described the Fateh central committee's decision to suspend the Fatah ministers' work in the government as "political blackmailing and a way to exert pressure on Hamas".

In a statement, Sami Abu Zuhri from Hamas said, "If Fateh is interested in stopping the clashes, the way forward is clear: they should stop the current 'coup' movement."

"The agents and collaborators in Fateh should be stopped, especially those who are committing crimes in the [Gaza] Strip," Abu Zuhri continued, adding that "they are all security members belong to Palestinian Authority president and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas."

Abu Zuhri added that Abbas could take "appropriate decisions" and oblige the Fateh members whom Abu Zuhri is accusing of preparing a coup to stop fighting in the Gaza Strip. "But unfortunately all signs say that Fateh is not interested in that," Abu Zuhri warned.

He added that Fateh has "become unable to control this trend."

"That imposes on Hamas to continue protecting the Palestinian people," he continued.

In regard to the decision made by the Fateh central committee to suspend the Fateh ministers' role in the government, he said, "this has no value; we don’t care about such statements."

Protecting the "national project"

On Tuesday, senior Fateh members said that the central committee would be meeting in order to decide whether to withdraw from the unity government and the Palestinian Legislative Council.

Speaking to Palestine TV, Deputy Prime Minister Azzam Al-Ahmad added, "If Fateh feels that the national platform is in danger, it is ready to bear its responsibilities alone."

"Anyone who believes that he can control things in this way is mistaken," he continued.

"Coup" accusations

Fateh and the Palestinian president's office also accused the Hamas leadership of planning a "bloody coup" against the PA on Tuesday.

A press statement from the presidency said: "All information and evidence indicates that there is a trend within the political and military leadership in the Hamas movement that is planning a coup against the Palestinian presidency, believing that they are able to control the [Gaza] Strip by force."

A statement from the Fateh movement added that it would "not allow the corrupted ones to establish a canton of hatred and spite in the Gaza Strip."

**Updated 13:45 13 June 07

 

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