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Hamas PM Nominee Meets With Palestinian Council Chief in Gaza

Posted on: Tuesday, 21 February 2006, 09:00 CST

Hamas PM nominee meets with Palestinian council chief in Gaza

GAZA, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Senior Hamas leader Ismail Haneya, who was nominated for Palestinian premiership, started a meeting on Monday afternoon with chief of the Palestinian National Council (PNC) over the formation of a Hamas-led new government.

Well-informed Palestinian sources said that the talks between Haneya and PNC chief Saleem Zanon were currently underway at Haneya's residence in the al-Shatti refugee camp in Gaza City.

The sources said that the two leaders were expected to discuss the formation of a Hamas-led new Palestinian cabinet and the ways to strengthen political partnership among the different Palestinian factions.

The meeting would also touch the possibility of Hamas' participation in the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), a political umbrella which groups key Palestinian factions including the Fatah movement.

The PNC used to function as the Palestinian parliament in exile and is headed by Zanon based in Jordan.

Meanwhile, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to meet with Haneya in the Gaza City later in the day over the future cabinet.

Hamas has been engaged in active talks with Palestinian factions in the parliament in a bid to establish a coalition government.

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a parliament faction, announced earlier that the group was willing to join the new Palestinian government to be formed by Hamas, or the Islamic Resistance Movement.

But the long dominant Fatah movement, which was defeated by Hamas in the Jan. 25 legislative elections, has so far refused to join a Hamas-led government.

Source: Xinhua News Agency - CEIS

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