Palestinian cabinet is due to resign on Monday as part of a government reshuffle. After that President Mahmoud Abbas will immediately ask Prime Minister Salam Fayyad to appoint new ministers. On Saturday, the Palestinian Authority led by Mr Abbas said it intends to hold presidential and legislative elections by September. However, Hamas faction, who are in control of the Gaza Strip, immediately rejected this plan, saying it was illegal. "Hamas will not take part in this election. We will not give it legitimacy. And we will not recognise the results," bbc.co.uk quotes Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum as saying. They also say the vote is intended to divert attention from the scandal caused by secret documents leaked by Al-Jazeera TV, which showed major concessions were offered to Tel-Aviv during peace talks in 2008. The chief Palestinian peace negotiator, Saeb Erekat, offered his resignation on Saturday, although Mr Abbas has not yet signed it.
Monday, 2012-05-21, 5:44 PM
