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A presidential decree to hold new elections for the PLC Speaker

Fatah and Hamas exchanged accusations yesterday on the failure of the Palestinian Legislative Council in the past phase, especially after the PLC failed to hold a session yesterday because there was no quorum. Dr. Ahmad Bahar, the First Deputy Speaker of the PLC and one of Hamas leading figures, said the Basic Law does not include any text to authorize the President to hold a new term of the PLC. He said in a press conference in Gaza that it was decided to hold a session on Wednesday and then it was postponed until Thursday upon a request from Fatah members of the PLC and we were surprised to see Fatah members in the PLC boycott the session. He said the session yesterday didn’t work out and was delayed until further notice because there was no quorum which is the presence of 67 members. Bahar said the decrees of President Abbas are illegitimate and illegal. He said President Abbas has no authority to suspend a session or to interfere in the agenda of a session, referring to the decree issued by President Abbas yesterday calling for electing a new PLC Speaker House through secret ballot. He said the Basic Law does not authorize the President to hold a secret session. Bahar admitted the opening of an extraordinary term of the PLC in accordance with the provisions of Article 16.

President Abbas issued yesterday a decree calling on the PLC to convene in its second term in 2007 next Wednesday, July 11, 2007. The decree also stipulated the holding of elections for the PLC Speaker House through secret ballot before conducting any discussion on any item in the agenda. Azzam al-Ahmad, head of Fatah Bloc in the PLC, said Fatah members didn’t attend the session because it was illegal as the first term of the PLC ended legally last Wednesday at midnight. Al-Ahmad said the President has the right to dissolve the PLC. He explained: the President has to exercise his authorities according to Article 43 of the Basic Law and his Excellency has the right to dissolve the PLC and call for elections. If the PLC remains paralyzed and if the forces don’t reach an agreement, logic points to holding elections and there is no legal text that prevents this.

Published at Al Quds al Arabi NewsPaper on July 6, 2007