BICOM

Nabil Sha’ath, a senior Fatah official, told the Palestinian Ma’an news agency that he expected the formation of a new Palestinian unity government to be announced within 10 days. Sha’ath also said that while the identity of the prime minister in the new government was not yet known, current Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad was still in the running for the post. The latter statement is significant as Fayyad is particularly favoured by Western governments, for his fiscal responsibility and achievements in the building of Palestinian institutions. At the same time, he is disliked by Hamas who see him as a ‘collaborator’ with Israel and the West. Fayyad is also distrusted by some Fatah officials and members precisely because of his lack of corruption and constructive approach. Sha’ath also said in the interview that the US and EU are currently pressuring Israel to release NIS 300 million in tax funds, which have been held since the announcement of the Fatah-Hamas reconciliation deal.

Meanwhile, President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated in a speech yesterday that he will not run again in the presidential elections: ‘I said in the past that I have no intention to run in the presidential elections and I am serious about it and I repeat it now in front of you: I will not run in the presidential elections.’