Abbas extends emergency Palestine cabinet rule

Ramallah (West Bank), June 17: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has issued decrees to bypass constitutional limits on his powers to establish an emergency government shutting out Islamist Hamas, aides said today.

They said the decrees, issued late last night, would allow Abbas, who heads the secular Fatah, to keep a planned cabinet in place without parliamentary approval. The new 13-member cabinet was to be sworn in at 1 pm (1530 IST).

Hamas holds a majority in the Palestinian Legislative Council though Israeli arrests of its deputies makes it difficult to reach a quorum and hold decision-making sessions.

Reuters

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