Hamas lawmakers prevented from holding parliamentary session

Hamas lawmakers prevented from holding parliamentary session

Ramallah – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas‘ from the West Bank– based administration banned a special parliamentary session called by Hamas from taking place.

 

Staff at the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) Monday prevented some 31 Hamas officials who had arrived at the complex from meeting in the plenary hall by keeping its doors locked.

 

Spokesman for Hamas Aziz Dweik accused the Abbas administration of “obstructing reconciliation and parliamentary life by preventing the session from being held.”

Dweik, of the Hamas’ Change and Reform Bloc, said he had called the surprise meeting to discuss Israel’s February decision to include two ancient shrines in the occupied territories on a list of “national heritage sites.”

He claimed that the session was also meant to discuss the constant attempt to resolve Hamas and its rival Fatah’s differences

 

The session was to be held through a video conference connection with parliament members in the Gaza Strip

 

Abbas and his Fatah party, however, no longer recognize Dweik as parliament speaker

 

Dweik blamed other factions, mainly Fatah, the second largest bloc in the Hamas-dominated parliament, for hindering the session.

Hamas members will however hold the session at a different location and time, he vowed.

Parliament employees, accused Hamas of “seeking to start internal strife” by calling for what they termed an “illegal and unconstitutional session.”

 

The internal Palestinian power struggle erupted after Hamas won a landslide victory in elections held in January 2006, defeating Abbas’ Fatah movement which had controlled Palestinian political life for more than 40 years.

 

The Palestinian Central Council, an organ of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which created the Palestinian Authority and its institutions, earlier this year extended the term of both the president and the parliament until further notice, until new elections can be held.

 

Apart from Hamas’ West Bank lawmakers, no members from other political trends including Fatah arrived for the special session scheduled for Monday.