Hamas to make final bid for coalition government

GAZA, Mar 16 (Reuters) Hamas said it would present a final offer to rival Palestinian factions in its struggle to form a coalition government, but President Mahmoud Abbas's defeated Fatah cast doubt on the chances of a deal.

At the end of a fourth day of inconclusive coalition talks in Gaza, Hamas spokesman Salah al-Bardaweel said the Islamic militant group would review its options and ''present our last offer to the factions''.

The leaders are expected to reconvene on Thursday but participants said Hamas was unlikely to succeed in its goal of creating a broad coalition that included Fatah.

In addition to what Bardaweel said would be Hamas's final offer, the group has revised its government programme twice this week after being rebuffed by Fatah.

Abbas has demanded that Hamas abide by interim peace deals and meet other conditions.

Fatah's Rudwan al-Akhras said after Wednesday's talks that ''all the presentations and all the amendments were not sufficient to convince Fatah'' to join a coalition led by Hamas.

Despite earlier revisions by Hamas, Akhras said the gap between the groups was still big.

''I do not see any encouraging signals that we will be able to reach an agreement over the program to form a joint government between the factions,'' he added.

Bardaweel also cast doubt on the chances of reaching a deal with Abbas, who has urged Hamas to adopt his vision of negotiated peace with Israel.

''I do not think that more discussion will change the programs'', Bardaweel said.

''Hamas has made a lot of progress towards a middle ground,'' Bardaweel said, but added that Fatah cannot expect Hamas to drop its own programme and adopt Fatah's. ''This contradicts the will of the people,'' he said.

Abbas has given Hamas two weeks to clarify its position before it presents an administration to parliament for a confidence vote.

Palestinian officials said both Abbas and Hamas were trying to find common ground and avoid tensions that could result in political paralysis or even violence, but that a confrontation was inevitable.

Palestinian officials involved in the talks said the main sticking points were Hamas's refusal to accept existing agreements and respect obligations by the Palestine Liberation Organisation, which includes recognition of Israel.

Hamas, whose charter calls for the Jewish state's destruction, swept to victory over the long-dominant Fatah faction in the Jan. 25 election on pledges to clean up corruption in the Palestinian Authority and seek statehood through armed struggle.

Israel and the United States have ruled out negotiating with Hamas until it renounces violence, recognises Israel's existence and agrees to abide by previous Israeli-Palestinian agreements.

Hamas, which has carried out nearly 60 suicide bombings in Israel since a Palestinian uprising began in 2000 but has largely adhered to a ceasefire forged a year ago, has said talks with Israel would be a waste of time.

REUTERS SK RAI0459