Special report: Hamas-led cabinet takes office

    RAMALLAH, June 19 (Xinhua) -- An aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on Monday for forming an independent government instead of the current one dominated by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).

    Yasser Abed Rabbo, Abbas' representative to the inter-Palestinian dialogue, told reporters that he prefers to have a new government "headed by an independent premier that would be acceptable by all parties, mainly Europe and the United States".

    Moreover, Abed Rabbo demanded that managing the political process should be authorized by Abbas, by the Presidency establishment and by Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

    Abed Rabbo is also a member of the PLO executive committee.

    The new government "must be ready for political negotiations" with Israel, said Abed Rabbo, in reference to the Hamas government's political stance that doesn't encourage peace agreements with Israel.

    However, Hamas officials announced that the national dialogue between Palestinian factions was close to reach an agreement over a joint political program, avoiding a referendum set by President Abbas on July 26.

    Abbas had repeatedly stated that if the parties failed to reach an agreement, people would say their word on a Document that implicitly recognizes Israel by calling for a Palestinian state in Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

    Even if the factions agreed on the document or not, "preparations for the referendum are underway and it will not be affected" with any agreement, said Abed Rabbo.

    "If we agreed on all articles of the document without any essential change, this would be good and the second step would be forming a new government," said Abed Rabbo.

    The current Palestinian cabinet is headed by Hamas after it defeated the one-dominant Abbas' Fatah movement in the January parliamentary elections this year. Enditem