Emergency cabinet in Palestine legitimate, assert Mediators

Moscow, June 17 (UNI) The Quartet of International Middle East mediators backed Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas' decision to swear in an emergency cabinet dismissing the short-lived Unity government, saying the measures were ''legitimate''.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner signed a statement on the Quartet's position, which was published on the Russian Foreign Ministry's official website.

''The Quartet recognized the relevancy and legitimacy of the decisions taken in line with Palestinian legislation and hailed Abbas' intention to address to Palestinians in a speech in the near future,'' the statement said.

It added the Middle East Quartet backed efforts ''by concerned regional states aimed at appeasing the situation and further assistance to comprehensive, just, and stable peace, which would be reached through talks on the basis of relevant UN resolutions''.

The Mediators expressed their deep concerns about the situation and the security of Palestinian people, mainly those who stay in the Gaza Strip and whose life has been effected by the ongoing crisis.

The signatories backed efforts to meet the humanitarian needs of Palestinians, and called for the human rights of every person in the Gaza Strip to be respected, it stressed.

The Quartet also called for an end to violence, for all parties to guarantee security and the necessary preconditions to deliver humanitarian goods and staff both in the Gaza Strip and at key checkpoints.

The newly-appointed 13-member cabinet, including an ex-guerrilla chief as interior minister, today replaced a short-lived unity government which was dismissed after Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip last week.

Mr Abbas had issued decrees bypassing constitutional limits on his powers to establish the emergency government without the approval of the Palestinian parliament, which has a Hamas majority.

UNI