Abbas Pursues Coup on PA Constitution and Parliament, Says Bahar

Bahar: Abbas pursues coup on PA constitution

[ 21/06/2007 - 11:53 AM ]

GAZA, (PIC)-- 

Acting PLC speaker Dr. Ahmad Bahar has accused PA chief Mahmoud Abbas of pursuing a coup against the PA constitution, the PLC, and the PA basic law, adding that Abbas’s “illegal” decrees were plain circumvention on the Palestinian legitimacy.

Bahar was reacting to Abbas’s speech before the PLO’s central council where he (Abbas) assaulted the legitimate Palestinian resistance, and justified his “illegal” decrees of dissolving the elected PA unity government and appointing an emergency government without the approval of the PA parliament.

He also charged Abbas of attempting to topple and cancel role of the PLC in favor of the PLO’s national council, which, he said, was paralyzed and remained futile since 1996 in clear violation of the PA basic law.

He also confirmed that the PLC was able to hold 19 sessions despite the IOF troops' arrest of 44 Hamas lawmakers, while, the last time the PLO’s central council convened was in 1996 with the aim to renounce the PLO’s charter.

Impolite speech full of lies: But Dr. Sami Abu Zuhri was clear enough in describing Abbas’s speech as “rude and full of lies”, accusing the PA chief of leading a scheme to isolate Hamas Movement.

He also shrugged off Abbas’s story on Hamas’s “conspiracy” to kill him, saying Hamas was prudent enough and won't do such a thing, explaining that the videotape was showing a group of Hamas’s fighters digging a tunnel to trap the IOF troops.

Hamas resorted to the tunnel tactics few years ago after it proved effectiveness in hitting the IOF troops as evident with its stunning armed attack dubbed as “vanished illusion” in which Palestinian resistance fighters captured IOF serviceman Gilad Shalit a year ago.

In this regard, Abu Zuhri also accused Abbas of implicitly approving the ongoing crimes against Hamas cadres at the hands of his security forces in the West Bank, saying that Abbas didn’t condemn such heinous acts.

“The coming days will prove that they (Abbas and his retinue) were wagering on the wrong horse”, Abu Zuhri said, adding that Abbas’ words in the speech were clear enough to unveil the security plan against Hamas Movement.

Yet, Abu Zuhri added, “It seems that matters will continue in this direction till one day Abbas wakes up and his security empire falls in the West Bank as it fell in Gaza Strip”.

The Popular Resistance Committees, one of the Palestinian resistance factions, has also deplored Abbas’s speech and accused him of conniving to split Gaza Strip from the West Bank in accordance with USA and Israeli wishes.

People’s legitimacy: For his part, Jamal Al-Jarrah, general-commander of the PA interior ministry’s executive force affirmed that his group’s legitimacy was derived from the Palestinian people and not from Abbas.

He was apparently reacting to Abbas’s decree of dissolving the force although it enjoys distinguished reputation in the Palestinian street.

“The executive force doesn’t await Abbas and his associates to bestow legitimacy on it as the Palestinian people that bestowed such legitimacy on the force are aware of the voluminous pain inflicted on them by Abbas and his group over the past two decades”, said Al-Jarrah.

In a letter addressed to Abbas and Haniyya, PLC head rejects emergency government 

Wednesday June 20, 2007 20:44 by IMEMC Staff saed at imemc dot org

Palestinian Legislative Council head, Dr. Ahmed Bahar, from the Hamas movement, addressed president Mahmoud Abbas, from Fateh, and Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyeh, from Hamas, and informed them that the Legislative Council does not recognize the Emergency Government.

Dr. Bahar added that the “current government” which was dismantled by president Abbas, will continue to perform its duties .

He stated that the Emergency Government “violates the basic Palestinian law” and does not grant the president any authority to dismantle the government.

According to the statements of Bahar, the decisions of Abbas are very dangerous and are considered an “end to the democratic path in Palestine, and a form of constitutional coup”.

Moreover, Bahar stated that the basic modified law is the only law which should be followed, therefore the president does not have any constitutional authority to suspend some constitutional articles that affect the rule of law and equality of all Palestinians.

He also said that Article Number 67 of the basic modified law states that any new government must be approved by the legislative council as a condition to function, and that this approval should be carried out before the government swears-in before the president.

“Therefore, the legislative council will not recognize any new government that violates the basic law”, Dr. Bahar added, and stressed that the Palestinian Legislative Council is the higher legislative authority and “will not allow violations to the constitution and the future of democracy in Palestine”.

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