Palestinian schism widens after failure of coalition talks (click on)
Palestinian students from the American University and Fateh supporters shout slogans backing Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas near the northern West Bank city of Jenin
RAMALLAH (AP) — Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh on Saturday rejected demands that his Hamas-led government resign and called for the resumption of talks to form a national unity government with President Mahmoud Abbas' Fateh Party.
Tensions between the two parties have grown in recent days, with Abbas saying that coalition talks — aimed at ending a crippling foreign aid boycott against the Hamas-led government — had reached a "dead end." On Friday, the PLO's Executive Committee, which is dominated by Fateh, called on Haniyeh to step down to make way for a new premier who could resume coalition talks with Abbas.
Speaking at a news conference during a trip to Qatar, Haniyeh said that suggestion was "only creating chaos in the street." "[Abbas] cannot make any decision regarding this without consulting Hamas, because Hamas is the main party in parliament," he said.
Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said the call for Haniyeh's resignation amounted to "a coup." The Islamic group won an overwhelming majority in parliamentary elections in January, while Abbas was elected separately last year, setting up government paralysis and leading to tensions in the street.
