Palestinian parliament strengthens Abbas

[Wordie]

Note that Hamas officials have said that they would, as soon as sworn in to the new parliament on Saturday, try to overturn these laws...

Posted on Mon, Feb. 13, 2006
Palestinian parliament strengthens Abbas
MOHAMMED DARAGHMEH
Associated Press

RAMALLAH, West Bank - The Palestinian parliament used its final session Monday to give President Mahmoud Abbas broad new powers, infuriating Hamas days before the Islamic group takes control of a suddenly weakened legislature.

In their final session with a parliamentary majority, Fatah lawmakers gave Abbas the authority to appoint a new, nine-judge constitutional court, which would serve as the final arbiter in disputes between himself and a Hamas parliament and Cabinet. The court could also veto legislation deemed to violate the Palestinians' Basic Law, which acts as a quasi-constitution.

Legal expert Issam Abdeen said the legislation would essentially give Abbas power over what laws the new parliament passed "since he is the one who appoints the judges of the constitutional court."

Hamas, which won 74 seats in the 132-member parliament, would need a two-thirds majority - or 88 seats - to buck Abbas and change the legislation passed Monday. Fatah controls 45 seats and could block a coalition of Hamas and smaller parties from revoking the law if it maintains party unity.

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/breaking_news/13863757.htm

The article also mentions that Fatah members were appointed to several key jobs. One Fatah loyalist was appointed head of the watchdog government group in charge of weeding out corruption.

[bemildred]

1. You would think that what Parliament can give, it can take away.

OTOH, Hamas might welcome having some excuses when things don't go right.

[Wordie]

2. It sounds tricky...

"I think this session was illegal. It is a kind of bloodless coup," said Abdel Aziz Duaik, an incoming Hamas legislator. The new law "puts complete authority in the hands of the president."

(Legal expert Issam Abdeen said) "He can use (these powers) to nullify laws that are unacceptable to him. If Hamas now approves Islamic laws, he could say it is against the constitution," Abdeen said.

Hamas spokesman Said Siyam called parliament's actions "illegitimate" and said Hamas would overturn the laws when the new parliament takes over.

But the article also mentioned that since Hamas only won 74 seats out of 132 - not really the landslide that everyone's been talking about - Fatah could block the attempt to overturn the laws, because Hamas would have problems getting the 2/3 vote required to do so.

Sheesh. I wonder what's really going on, and how it will all turn out.

[bemildred]

3. Well, that part sounds like bullshit to me.

74 is a rather decent majority out of 132. 2 x 74 is 148. It sounds like they want to have a filibuster kind of deal, now that they are being kicked out.

[Wordie]

4. Well, sort of...

It does appear that it's a legal manouver, according to the little I can determine from the article. Whether it's fair is a different matter.

Palestinian political analyst Talal Okal said parliament's actions worsened the already tough challenge facing Hamas as it tries to flex its muscle in a Palestinian bureaucracy filled with Fatah loyalists.

"Hamas will be in a difficult position. It will be running a government from its head, but the whole body will be Fatah," he said.

Sounds very messy...just what the Palestinians need, huh?

[bemildred]

5. Fair, schmair, can they make it stick? That's the question. nt