Related: New Palestinian parliament sworn in

    GAZA, Feb. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) has officially chosen Ismail Haneya as the new prime minister of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), a senior Hamas official said Sunday.

Ismail Haneya (AFP/File)

    "Hamas has officially chosen Ismail Haneya for the Prime Minister post," Sallah al-Bardaweil, Hamas spokesman in the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), told reporters.

    The nomination, which came one day after a Hamas-led Palestinian legislature was sworn in, was also announced to reporters in an MSM written text message.

    Palestinian sources said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will hold a meeting with a Hamas delegation Sunday afternoon in the West Bank city of Ramallah on the formation of a new Palestinian cabinet.

    Abbas is also scheduled to meet later Sunday with Haneya and other Hamas leaders in Gaza to officially ask Haneya to form the new cabinet.

    Under Palestinian law, Haneya has a maximum of five weeks to form the cabinet. If he fails to do so, Abbas will nominate another person to form the cabinet.

    Hamas, which won the Jan. 25 Palestinian elections, said it is ready to form the cabinet and has held contacts with several political groups and individuals aimed at persuading them to join a national unity cabinet.

    Haneya, a prominent Hamas leader based in Gaza, has been widely expected to head the next government. Enditem