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Abbas to ask Fayyad to form new Fatah-left government By Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Salam Fayyad  Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to ask Prime Minister Salam Fayyad to form a new government including Abbas' Fatah party and left-wing organizations. The new team would replace an emergency cabinet consisting of non-Fatah independents close to Fayyad. Fadwa Barghouti, the wife of Marwan Barghouti, the leader of Fatah's Tanzim faction, could become a cabinet member. The Tanzim leader is currently in prison in Israel. Abbas has recently been criticized by Fatah colleagues for not getting the prime minister to appoint Fatah-affiliated ministers. Advertisement Fayyad had submitted his resignation several months ago as head of the emergency cabinet in advance of renewed contacts between Hamas and Fatah in Egypt. He said he would stay on as the talks progressed. But the negotiations have foundered, so Abbas decided to form the new broadly-based government. Damascus-based Hamas leader Khaled Meshal called on Abbas on Saturday not to ask Fayyad to form a new government without Hamas on board. Officials from Hamas and Fatah are due to meet in Cairo on May 16 for another round of reconciliation talks. Palestinian commentators say Abbas will unveil the new government before his departure for meetings with the U.S. administration in Washington later this month. Split in the ranks At the same time, there is a major split in Fatah over a proposal to hold a conference to choose new leadership for the organization. It would be the first such conference in 10 years. There is even disagreement over the composition of representation at the meeting, including opposition to a proposal that would reserve two-thirds of the seats for veteran Fatah leaders. The left-wing organizations in the new government would include the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine. A Hamas senior official, meanwhile, said on Saturday that he expects Egypt will next week resume its efforts to broker a ceasefire between Israel and armed Palestinian groups. Related articles: Abbas to form new government without Hamas deputies Fayyad to stay on as PA prime minister - for now U.S. warns it won't recognize PA unity gov't sans Fayyad Bookmark to del.icio.us   'No Jews allowed' A hotel in Austria refuses Jewish guests even though there are vacancies Israel's secret plan Clandestine government plan to help prevent the division of Jerusalem revealed   1.   prediction 06:55  |  vik 10/05/09   2.   Israel should release Marwan Barghouti... 07:39  |  BBSNews 10/05/09   3.   ".... opposition to a proposal that would reserve two-thirds .... 08:51  |  Jew- and Bookburner 10/05/09   4.   Another terrorist organization 10:35  |  Baruch Gold 10/05/09   5.   it really IS sad that israel refuses to free marwan barghouti 12:01  |  eric 10/05/09   6.   Abass distance himself from his Rights ! 13:24  |  Akram Zekaria 10/05/09   7.   Abbas to ask Fayyad to for new Fatah-left government. 14:17  |  Akram Zekaria 10/05/09

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