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Hamas has named a cabinet of 24 people, almost all Hamas members or affiliated 'independents' because no other significant Palestinian party was willing to join them in a coalition.
It's not clear yet what Palestinian Authority Pres Abbas and his Fatah party will decide - semi-official leaks have said they would refuse to accept the new cabinet, maybe even dissolve the new government as unrepresentative (Hamas only won something like 45% of the total votes). Other leaks say Abbas hasn't decided whether to accept the cabinet or not, and still others that there are still some heated negotiations (Hmmmm... Could that involve protecting embezzled funds?) to get his approval.
Hamas has said they don't give a flying rat's ass what Abbas or Fatah says or does, they're in charge now.
Here's their new Interior Minister's comments today:
Quote:
Incoming Palestinian interior minister Said Seyam, chosen by Hamas to oversee three security services, said on Thursday he will not order the arrest of militants carrying out attacks against Israel.
"The day will never come when any Palestinian would be arrested because of his political affiliation or because of resisting the occupation," Seyam told Reuters in an interview.
As well as vowing not to arrest militants for carrying out attacks against Israel, Seyam said Hamas would try to coordinate militants' operations.
"Talks with the factions in the future will focus on the mechanisms, the shape and the timing (of any attacks)," he said.
"But the right to defend our people and to confront the aggression is granted and is legitimate."
Seyam said he had begun talks with Palestinian security chiefs in the hope of averting fighting within the security services. A majority of the 20,000-plus security personnel, who will answer to Seyam, are Fatah members.
OK, all who truly think Hamas is planning to 'moderate their behavior if we just give them some time and provide financial support' please raise your hands...
Meanwhile, Israel is trying to help the PA deal with bird flu outbreaks throughout the two regions, tracked in from Egypt. Turns out the Palestinian and Israeli agriculture ministries have always worked very well and closely together. Maybe they should just put them in charge of the peace process.
Israeli elections are in 4 days -- they've intercepted 3 or 4 much bigger than usual bombs (15-20 pounds of explosives) in the last couple days, one after a movie-like high-speed car chase through downtown Tel Aviv. Pro-peace-parties are steadily losing ground in the polls, even after trying to appear real tough and militaristic. Looks like the liberal Labor party, which focuses almost entirely on domestic issues, is gaining, interestingly.
One newspaper columnist is asking everyone to stuff a tampon in the ballot box in protest for the crappy candidates and stupid platforms. She said, 'after all, every few years we go through this period of mutual blood-letting and we get to see the messy inner workings of the system.' LOL
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__________________
oderint dum metuant (Latin for 'let them hate, so long as they fear').
Well, in truth I'm actually not a total hawk, but I'm not a dove either -- I'm more like an angry pigeon flying over the political arena after a really big meal. -Abba Gav
Kalkilya:
Following a spate of violent incidents, including assassination attempts, Hamas leaders in this city warned Thursday of a conspiracy designed to oust them from the municipality, which they have been controlling for nearly eight months.
Earlier this week, unidentified gunmen opened fire at the car of Acting Mayor Hashem al-Masri as it was parked outside his home. No one was hurt in the attack, which was believed to be part of a severe power struggle that has been raging between Hamas and Fatah for months. A few days earlier, Masri was beaten on the head with a club as he left a mosque.
Hamas officials have accused Fatah supporters of being behind the attacks. "These people just can't accept the fact that they lost."
For some residents, the events here are an indication of what awaits Hamas after it forms the cabinet and takes control of the Palestinian Authority. Many are convinced that Fatah members would do their utmost to undermine Hamas's control, pointing out that the tensions here are a microcosm of the power struggle between the two parties.
Although Hamas won the municipal election, its representatives lost to Fatah in the Palestinian Legislative Council elections in the Kalkilya district. Fatah supporters said the Hamas defeat was the result of disillusionment with the Hamas-controlled municipality, which has failed to make good its promises to carry out economic projects and improve the living conditions of the city's 41,000 residents.
Hamas leaders, however, dismissed the theory as "nonsense," pointing out that a combination of odd political alliances and clan rivalries were responsible for their defeat.
Tensions are running so high that shopkeepers in the open vegetable market almost engaged in a fistfight just when asked about the performance of their new municipality.
"We haven't seen any new projects," complained Yusef Shawar, owner of a poultry shop. "They say they have many projects, but they haven't done anything until now, although they have been in office for about eight months. I don't think they will ever be able to fulfill their promises."
His neighbor, Abu Nihad, who owns a small gift shop, angrily pointed out that municipal inspectors have been waging a "campaign" against him and many of shopkeepers.
"Not only has this municipality failed to fulfill its promises, it is harassing us on a daily basis," he said. "It is preventing us from displaying our goods in front of our shops, and this is very bad for business."
A plainclothes security officer, who described himself as a "senior general" but refused to give his name, said many residents were "depressed" because of the poor performance of the Hamas-run municipality.
"These guys don't know how to govern," he argued. "Many people here even regret that they voted for them in the municipal election. Hamas does not have money because it is not realistic. It doesn't want to recognize the PLO and the agreements with Israel. It is turning the international community against us."
Adnan Marouf, a plantation owner who was recently hired as a part-time employee of the PA's Preventative Security Service, added: "People here were pinning high hopes on Hamas. But today most of us are disappointed. We expected them to do many things for the city, but they have failed. How will they run the affairs of the entire Palestinian people when they can't even provide good services to a small city like Kalkilya?"
Others accused the municipality of hiring only people who were affiliated with Hamas, an allegation strongly denied by the acting mayor and his aides.
But not all the residents here shared the feeling of discontent. Most of the complaints, some said, were aimed at showing the world that Hamas can't deliver.
"The new municipality has done many good things for the city," stressed pharmacist Salim Nassar. "Although they have been in office for less than nine months, they have made some achievements, especially with regard to overhauling the city hall bureaucracy and eliminating waste in municipal procurement." According to Nassar, the municipality's biggest achievement has been to pay a NIS 6 million debt to Israel Electric.
"The problem is that people are impatient and want to see tangible results on the ground in a very short period," he explained. "They don't understand that the municipality has already implemented major internal reforms."
Nassar, like many Hamas supporters here, is convinced that the Islamic movement lost the PLC election mainly because Fatah bought the vote. "I saw with my own eyes Fatah candidates buy votes," he said.
His allegation immediately drew sharp criticism from Fatah-affiliated merchants and passersby.
"Don't believe him!" shouted one shopkeeper. "He's defending the municipality because his brother-in-law works there."
Municipality officials said the campaign against them was being initiated mostly by disgruntled Fatah activists who can't stand the idea that their city, once known as a Fatah stronghold, was being run by Hamas.
"These attempts will fail," said a senior municipality official. "The majority of the people here know that it will take some time before they see real changes. Hamas won't disappoint those who voted for it."
__________________
oderint dum metuant (Latin for 'let them hate, so long as they fear').
Well, in truth I'm actually not a total hawk, but I'm not a dove either -- I'm more like an angry pigeon flying over the political arena after a really big meal. -Abba Gav
...It's not clear yet what Palestinian Authority Pres Abbas and his Fatah party will decide - semi-official leaks have said they would refuse to accept the new cabinet, maybe even dissolve the new government as unrepresentative (Hamas only won something like 45% of the total votes). ...
I don't know how accurate this poll is...but Hamas's support has actually increased since its election victory two months ago. So I don't think dissolving the government for another reelection will help much.
President Abbas can either move to fire the new government by rejecting the cabinet nominees (which we can all guess will create a political crisis and force new elections).... Or he can simply resign and force a new presidential election.
Either way - it looks like Hamas would win big at the polls.
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