Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party is likely to
get four portfolios in the coming coalition government, while the
ruling Hamas will get seven in addition to the post of prime
minister, Ramattan news agency reported on Wednesday.
Ramattan said the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
and the Third Way would get two portfolios respectively. The
Democratic Front would get one.
Mohammed Dahlan, a prominent Fatah leader, negotiator and former
minister, would be in charge of the new Ministry of Civil Affairs
in the coalition, the report said.
The civil affairs department now is part of the Interior
Ministry. Its work includes daily coordination with Israel.
Ramattan added that the new coalition government would come into
being in two weeks and still be headed by Prime Minister Ismail
Haneya of Hamas.
According to Ramattan, current Foreign Minister Mahmoud Zahar
will hand over his post to Hanan Ashrawi, an independent lawmaker
representing the Third Way bloc in the Palestinian Legislative
Council (PLC).
There were still disagreements on the interior portfolio, with
Hamas nominating current minister Said Siam, who was strongly
opposed by Fatah.
(Xinhua News Agency September 14, 2006)
