Hamas’ parliamentary bloc in the PLC has criticized a decision made by President Mahmoud Abbas appointing MP Mohammed Dahalan of Fatah as national security advisor of the PA.
In a press statement he made Monday, spokesman of the Hamas bloc, MP Dr. Salah Al-Bardaweel conveyed: “We respect the president’s decision, however, we don’t welcome the appointment of Dahalan as his marks on security mess and internal fighting in the Palestinian arena are still printed, in addition to being a “persona non grata” in the Palestinian street”.
He also added that the PA basic law doesn’t entitle Dahalan to practice two jobs at one time, one in the PLC as a deputy, and the other as a security advisor, adding that Dahalan has to make up his mind and select one of the two jobs.
“Either he resigns from the PLC or stops taking up another mission because one of the deputy’s main functions is to attend sessions of the legislature and to practice his duties away from any other job”, the Hamas’ lawmaker explained, according to PIC.
As a result, Bardaweel asserted, the bloc will present a legal motion supported by legal evidences to Abbas in order to convince him into revoking the appointment.
Meanwhile, Palestinian premier Ismael Haniyeh has received Norwegian deputy foreign minister Raymon Juhanson in Gaza city Monday in the first such step by a senior European diplomat to the PA government for over a year.
Juhanson’s “welcomed” visit follows his country’s decision to recognize the PA unity government. Norwegian foreign minister Jonas Gahr Støre had earlier telephoned his Palestinian counterpart Dr. Ziad Abu Amre, informing him of the decision and inviting him to visit Oslo. Støre also expressed willingness to visit Palestine.
According to Støre, the Hamas-Fatah alliance was a “historic event” that the international community must exploit to achieve lasting peace in the region, warning that the alternative of such unity government would be endless cycle of violence.
