Palestinian parliament can unite factions

Leading Hamas official and Vice-President of the Palestinian Legislative Council in Gaza, Ahmed Bahar, has claimed that the Palestinian parliament has been at the forefront of efforts to achieve reconciliation in the past, and has a key part to play in the future. In an exclusive interview with Arabstoday, Bahar said that Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council Aziz Duwaik's proposals led to the formation of a national unity government in 2007, and there is no reason why the legislature cannot aid reconciliation efforts again. The Hamas leader urged the Palestinian Authority to reactivate the Palestinian Legislative Council in the West Bank and allow the President of the Council, Duwaik, and MPs of the Hamas-backed Change and Reform bloc to resume their work in Ramallah. Bahar claimed that a move to allow the legislative council to work in the West Bank would show how serious President Mahmoud Abbas and the Fatah movement is about potential reconciliation. He added that ignoring the legislature would have an adverse impact on Palestinian unity. "Any future government that doesn't enjoy the confidence of the legislative council would be constitutionally void, according to provisions of basic Palestinian law," Bahar explained. Commenting on the resignation of Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, Bahar described the West Bank government as "null and void," adding that the regime lacked constitutional legitimacy without the backing of the Palestinian parliament. The Hamas official argued that the national unity government led by Ismail Haniyeh in 1997 had constitutional legitimacy with approval from 97 percent of the legislature. Bahar reiterated the importance of the Palestinian Legislative Council to achieving national reconciliation, adding that the council is the sole legislative authority that represents the Palestinian masses. The Gaza-based politician also denied reports that Hamas is afraid of elections. "We are not against elections, but in order to conduct a fair election, you need to create the right conditions. "This means ensuring freedom of movement for Hamas candidates without being arrested by the Israeli occupation authorities, and to close the file of political detention," he explained. Bahar raised concerns about the division between Hamas and Fatah, and pinpointed the political arrests of Hamas supporters in the West Bank as an issue which shows Fatah is not serious about reconciliation. The Hamas leader denied that his movement has made a decision not to participate in the Palestinian presidential elections. "When Hamas takes a decision, the group does not back down, but it is premature to talk about our candidate for presidency or plans for the legislative elections," he explained.