Hamas, Fatah resume talks on Palestinian coalition
(AFP)
Updated: 2006-03-10 08:49

The Islamist movement Hamas and defeated Fatah party resumed difficult talks on forming a Palestinian coalition government after postponing them a day earlier, an AFP correspondent said.

Hamas Palestinian parliamentary speaker Aziz Dweik (R) arrives on the second day of the Palestinian parliament, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, on March 7. The Islamist movement Hamas and defeated Fatah party resumed difficult talks on forming a Palestinian coalition government after postponing them a day earlier.[AFP]

The talks between the chief of Fatah's parliamentary bloc, Azzam al-Ahmed, and his Hamas counterpart, Mahmud al-Zahar, were taking place at Zahar's Gaza home.

They were initially to have been held Wednesday night, but were put off for undisclosed "technical reasons."

The discussions, the second round in two weeks, begin under the cloud of slanging matches in parliament this week. Fatah walked out, charging that the speaker, Hamas deputy Aziz Dweik, was "undermining all bases for agreement."

Hamas representatives were also expected to meet with moderate Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas on Thursday.

Abbas is a member of Fatah, which was trounced by Hamas in the January 25 Palestinian general election. On February 21, he formally charged Hamas prime minister-designate Ismail Haniya with forming the next government.

Haniya has said Hamas, blacklisted by the West as a terrorist organisation, would consult with other Palestinian parties, including Fatah, with a view to forming a national coalition.

After a meeting with Zahar on February 22, Ahmed said Fatah had accepted "in principle" to join a Hamas-led coalition as long as there were agreement on a common programme.