Radwan: We don't want Fayyad government

The leader of Hamas, Ismail Radwan, has confirmed his categorical refusal to participate in any future government headed by the Fatah candidate Salam Fayyad. He said in a special statement to "Arabs Today" that President Mahmoud Abbas has full responsibility for the failure of the two sides to agree on the composition of the next government, on account of his commitment to Fayyad as the candidate who should take up the position of President. Radwan explained that President Abbas's commitment to Fayyad contradicts the terms of the agreement signed by the Palestinian factions in Cairo. Radwan also stated that Abbas’s insistence on Fayyad being President will complicate matters, and impede the process of forming the next government. Radwan stressed that his movement (Hamas) would not accept any future government headed by Fayyad, noting that there have been no developments in communications between the two sides regarding the naming of the President of the next government. Sources close to the Palestinian President also noted that Abbas may choose to postpone the announcement of the next government in the event of a "financial blockade". They stated that he would not offer to form a new government in the event of any doubt that they might be exposed to a "financial blockade", emphasizing the importance of international financial support for the Palestinian Authority. Palestinian sources confirmed that President Abu Mazen has issued orders to the negotiator from Fatah, Azzam al-Ahmad, telling him to adopt Salam Fayyad as the President of the next government during negotiations with the Hamas movement. In the same context, the newspaper "Al-Watan" quoted Palestinian sources as saying: "Turkey failed late last month in persuading Hamas of the need for Salam Fayyad to be appointed as the President of the government." The sources told the newspaper: "The Palestinian Authority, President Mahmoud Abbas, who visited Turkey asking Ankara to officially persuade Hamas of the need to appoint Salam Fayyad as President. The Turkish side has responded on his side and put it to the head of Hamas's political Office, Khaled Meshaal, who was visiting Turkey at the same time." The sources said that Turkey understands Abbas's position, but on the other hand it understands the reasoning behind Hamas's refusal to nominate Fayyad. It has tended to the need for compatibility in order to form the government in the way that it was declared in the reconciliation agreement. The sources said that the Turkish Foreign Minister, Ahmed Davutoglu, tried to persuade Meshaal of the need to approve Fayyad, but the latter insisted on his position. The Foreign Minister emphasized that is would only be for a transitional phase that will come to an end. However Meshaal refused to change his stance.