Gaza City: Hamas ended coalition talks yesterday after failing to secure a single party as a partner, but said it will form a government on its own a scenario likely to ensure international isolation for the movement.
The new cabinet, to be presented to parliament next week, must also win the approval of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who has been telling Hamas, which swept January elections, that it must first renounce violence and accept interim peace accords with Israel.
The Hamas victory has placed Abbas in the difficult situation of having to deal with a cabinet controlled by a rival party while facing crippling economic sanctions.
Abbas is expected to ask Hamas to rework its government programme, an official close to Abbas said.
The main sticking point in Palestinian coalition talks has been Hamas's refusal to recognise a 1988 unilateral Palestinian declaration of independence that included a recognition of Israel.
Hamas legislator Mushir Al Masri said Thursday marked the final round of negotiations. He did not say outright that the talks had failed. However, the small Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which had been considered a likely coalition partner, said it did not find common ground. Abbas's Fatah has said it would not join a Hamas government.
Al Masri said that if Hamas did not find coalition partners, it would present a cabinet of independents, technocrats and Hamas politicians to parliament on Monday.
Hamas has said it would reserve the top posts of foreign minister, interior minister and finance minister for itself.
Hamas hoped for a broad-based government, partly to deflect international criticism, but refused to bend its principles.
Abbas has the right to veto the composition of a Hamas government, or ask that some ministers be replaced, but since the Hamas-dominated parliament needs to approve the cabinet, Abbas cannot impose a government of his choosing.
Salah Al Bardawil, the spokesman of Hamas's bloc in parliament, said Fatah would not join a coalition government in which it would be the junior partner.
No compromise
"Fatah hasn't wanted to compromise which shows that they don't want to participate in the government," he said.
"We are not prepared to abandon our programme on which we have been elected and we will not accept Fatah's programme of government."
Azzam Al Ahmad, Fatah's leader in parliament, said there was no prospect of a deal unless there was a marked shift on Hamas's behalf.
"Last night at midnight they gave us their programme but their programme does not give us clear answers. They have not addressed the points that we raised and they have given different answers to different factions," he said.
"This is not satisfactory to us. If this their final offer, Fatah will not take part in this government," he said.
Chief Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri poured cold water on any suggestion that the Islamists would execute a U-turn.
"Fatah has received the final version of our programme," Abu Zuhri said.
