Newly appointed Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad has completed the formation of an emergency goverment and is to present it to President Mahmoud Abbas for approval Saturday, an Abbas aide said.
Prior to his appointment to prime minister by Abbas, Fayyad was the finance minister in the unity government until it was disbanded. If Abbas gives his blessing, the new Cabinet is to be sworn in Saturday evening, the aide said.
The United States, Israel and European states are preparing to ease sanctions in the West Bank to try to bolster the emergency government, with an American envoying going so far as to announce this formally Saturday. US Consul-General Jacob Walles said the US plans to lift a ban on direct aid to the emergency government, adding, "I think ... there won't be any obstacles, economically and politically, in terms of reengaging with this government. Yes, they will have full support." Arab League leaders also expressed support for a new Abbas-led government, but were more guarded. “We are supporting President Abbas and we are supporting the elected Legislative Assembly (parliament),” Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa told a news conference. Abbas ordered the Hamas-led government disbanded on Thursday after the Islamist group's bloody takeover of the Gaza Strip. On Friday, he appointed Fayyad as prime minister. The latter immediately began consultations on with Palestinian leaders on the make-up of his cabinet, officials said. Hamas leaders, among them politburo chief Khaled Mashaal, expressed condemnation of Abbas’ announcement of the establishment of an emergency government, saying it was against the law. “There is no such thing as an emergency government in the law, and the step he made is not helping mend the rift, it’s a sad move that has created a situation of one government in the West Bank and one in the Gaza Strip,” Mashaal said. Source : http://www.ynetnews.com
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