GAZA, Jan. 30 (Xinhuanet) -- A Hamas leader asked the international community on Monday not to cut aid to Palestinians and called on the Quartet to open talks with it.

   Speaking at a press conference before his house in the refugee camp of al-Shatti in Gaza City, Ismail Haneya, a senior Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip, called on the world not to cut aid to the Palestinians people which they badly needed to survive and reconstruct.

   "Hamas is heading towards implementing our election program in transparency on financial management and public management," Haneya said.

   "Thus, all Palestinian incomes from the donors, taxes and customs will flow into the Palestinian Ministry of Finance treasury, so that they are spent according to priorities of the Palestinian people," Haneya said.

   He promised to carry out reforms to stamp out administrative and financial corruption and impose freedom, equality and rule of law.

   Haneya also said Hamas sought to build a political regime based on pluralism and peaceful dealing, strengthen democracy and respect human rights.

   Haneya's call came after Hamas swept the legislative elections by garnering 74 seats out of the 132 parliament seats up for grabs, enabling it to form the next Palestinian cabinet.

   Hamas defeated the long-dominant Fatah movement led by Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.

   Haneya also asked the Mideast Quartet committee, grouping the European Union (EU), the United Nations, the United States and Russia, to open talks with Hamas without any preconditions, adding that the talks should be fair and neutral.

   Haneya said the world should respect the democratic choice of the Palestinian people, who placed high confidence on his group through the elections.

   However, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who visited Israel on Sunday, said Germany would not hold talks with Hamas until it recognizes Israel's right to exist.

   Merkel also said the EU would not fund the Palestinian National Authority involving Hamas if the militant group did not renounce commitment to the destruction of the Jewish state.

   Merkel is due to meet Abbas when she visits the West Bank city of Ramallah on Monday, but she refuses to talk with Hamas leaders. Enditem