The Corner Report

Mahmoud Abbas, the former Palestinian president whose term ended in January but who continues to act as president, has said he will swear in a new government in the next 48 hours without Fatah's rival, the democratically elected Hamas government.

Announcing his intention on Monday, he said that he was not closing the door on power-sharing talks with Hamas, which effectively governs the Gaza Strip.

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Abbas promised to disband the planned government once Fatah reached a reconciliation agreement with Hamas.

Nour Odeh, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Ramallah, in the West Bank, said that the government would be made up of a number of different factions.

"But, of course, Hamas will not be party to this government as that reconciliation is yet to happen," she reported.

Reconciliation talks between the two parties have reached deadlock over Fatah's insistence that Hamas recognize Israel, renounce violence and accept existing agreements between Israel and the Palestinians.

Abbas's move puts pressure on Hamas ahead of the next round of talks, scheduled for Saturday.

"The pressure game is being played by both sides - in the Gaza Strip Hamas has appointed a new interior minister [Fathi Hammad], it's taken different measures to consolidate its grip on the Gaza Strip," Odeh said.

'Death Certificate'

Fawzi Barhoum, a Hamas official, said that Abbas's move had "issued a death certificate ahead of talks".

"This step is not a good sign ... It will deepen divisions," he said.

Since Hamas pushed security forces loyal to Abbas out of Gaza two years ago, his Western-backed administration has controlled only the West Bank.

According to Palestinian officials, Abbas will ask Salam Fayyad, the current unelected Palestinian prime minister that Abba appointed, to form the new government.

Fayyad, a US-educated economist, had said that he was quitting the role, but announced on April 1 that he would remain in office until the end of the talks between Hamas and Fatah.

A "moderate economist" -- that is, one who favors the economic policies of the U.S. -- is supported by the U.S. Fayyad was first appointed prime minister in June 2007 following the Hamas takeover of Gaza. Fayyad tendered his resignation in March allegedly in hopes of clearing the way for a Hamas-Fatah unity government. His re-appointment is widely thought to be a sign of the collapse of unity talks.

Abbas also announced that his Fatah movement would hold a long-overdue conference on July 1 to select new leaders.

The last conference was held in 1989, and Fatah's popularity has declined steadily since then, in part because of the movement's failure to renew itself and largely because of perceived corruption within the Fatah movement.

Internal reforms could help Fatah compete against Hamas in general elections due to be held by next year. according to Al Jazeera.

A Palestinian official who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the new government would be composed of 24 ministers, including independent figures, businessmen, and officials from the PLO factions, including Fatah, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), Fida, and the Popular Struggle Front.

He added that the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) refused to join the coalition because of the absence of a national agreement among all factions. Hamas, barred from the PLO, is by definition not a member of the new government.

Another PLO member-faction, the formerly-communist Palestinian People’s Party (PPP), also refused to join the new government. PPP Secretary-General Bassam As-Salihi declined an offer to become Minister of Agriculture.

The Hamas government based in Gaza will remain in place. Hamas won parliamentary elections in 2006. In June 2007 Hamas-backed fighters shut down Fatah-allied security forces who had been armed and supported by the U.S. to foment strife in the Gaza Strip. Abbas then dissolved the Hamas-Fatah unity government, appointing Fayyad as prime minister.

Later on on Tuesday, the Fatah movement released on its website the names of what it said were the members of the new cabinet.

1. Salam Fayyad, prime minister and finance minister
2. Sa'adi Al-Krunz, minister of the national economy, and a candidate for deputy prime minister
3. Fathi Abu Moghli, minister of health
4. Muhammad Ismail Abu Ismail, minister of public works
5. Muhammad Saqr, minister of communication
6. Mashhour Abu Daqqa, minister of transportation
7. Ali Alsertawi, minister of justice
8. Zahira Kamal, minister of women’s affairs
9. Ghassan Al-Khatib, minister of labor
10. Mahmoud Al-Habash, minister of religious endownments
11. Khouloud Daibes, minister of tourism
12. Riyad Al-Maliki, minister of foreign affairs
13. Hanan Ashrawi, minister of education
14. Abdul Razzaq Al-Yahia, minister of interior
15. Khaled Al-Qwasmy, minister of local government
16. Majida Al-Masri, minister of social affairs
17. Ahmad Majdalawi, minister of state
18. Yousef Abu Safia, minister of the environment
19. Minister of prisoners affairs: either Jawad At-Tibi or Hisham Abed Ar-Razq.
20. Minister of planning: either Samir Abdallah or Nabeel Kassis
21. Said Abu Ali, secretary general of the cabinet.
The list does not mention who will become minister of information.

Aljazeera, Maan News, and Agencies