Hamas threatens violence if President calls early election

[Behind the Aegis]

Hamas has threatened to resort to violence if Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian President, calls early elections after the breakdown of negotiations for a national unity government between the Islamist party, which won a surprise parliamentary majority last January, and his more pragmatic Fatah.

Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas Prime Minister, said during a visit to Iran: "Holding early elections is the start of the creation of disorder in Palestine. They do not want the formation of a national-unity government. They want to expel Hamas from the government. They want the authority and government to be entirely in the hands of non-Hamas people."

Mr Abbas lost patience after Hamas refused to accept international conditions for ending an economic boycott that has brought the Palestinians close to starvation: recognising Israel, renouncing violence and honouring past agreements.

With Tony Blair due here later this week in an attempt to revive peace negotiations as part of an Anglo-American exit strategy from Iraq, Mr Abbas had hoped for a government of technocrats that would make the most of a growing Western eagerness to break the Israeli-Palestinian deadlock.

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[David__77]

1. The PA president has no such authority under law.

Of course, the West only wants "democracy" when it furthers its objectives. Hamas is the legitimate elected representative of the "PA."

[Douglas Carpenter]

2. a former Israeli Foreign Minister agrees with you point

Regarding the need to respect the democratic process even if one does not like the results

former Israeli Foreign Minister Schlomo Ben-Ami:

link: http://www.democracynow.org/finkelstein-benami.shtml

"SHLOMO BEN-AMI: Yes, Hamas. I think that in my view there is almost sort of poetic justice with this victory of Hamas. After all, what is the reason for this nostalgia for Arafat and for the P.L.O.? Did they run the affairs of the Palestinians in a clean way? You mentioned the corruption, the inefficiency. Of course, Israel has contributed a lot to the disintegration of the Palestinian system, no doubt about it, but their leaders failed them. Their leaders betrayed them, and the victory of Hamas is justice being made in many ways. So we cannot preach democracy and then say that those who won are not accepted by us. Either there is democracy or there is no democracy.

And with these people, I think they are much more pragmatic than is normally perceived. In the 1990s, they invented the concept of a temporary settlement with Israel. 1990s was the first time that Hamas spoke about a temporary settlement with Israel. In 2003, they declared unilaterally a truce, and the reason they declared the truce is this, that with Arafat, whose the system of government was one of divide and rule, they were discarded from the political system. Mahmoud Abbas has integrated them into the political system, and this is what brought them to the truce. They are interested in politicizing themselves, in becoming a politic entity. And we need to try and see ways where we can work with them.

Now, everybody says they need first to recognize the state of Israel and end terrorism. Believe me, I would like them to do so today, but they are not going to do that. They are eventually going to do that in the future, but only as part of a quid pro quo, just as the P.L.O. did it. The P.L.O., when Rabin came to negotiate with them, also didn't recognize the state of Israel, and they engaged in all kind of nasty practices. And therefore, we need to be much more realistic and abandon worn-out cliches and see whether we can reach something with these people. I believe that a long-term interim agreement between Israel and Hamas, even if it is not directly negotiated between the parties, but through a third party, is feasible and possible."

[Douglas Carpenter]

3. Al Jazeera has an article carrying a number of points of view of different Gazans

Gazans speak out on early poll
By Laila El-Haddad in Gaza


link:

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/6B6152C5-1CA4-4277-BA1D-117A785FA72E.htm

snip:"Mervet Naim, 34, English teacher (government schools)

"I am completely against the idea of early elections. President Abbas and Fatah in general must give Hamas a chance and let them serve the full four years. Even if we are not being paid, we are still behind our government one hundred per cent"

snip:"Yousef AlHelou, 27, radio producer/translator

"I am with any solution which can lead us away from this crisis. Even if there is no law that allows for early elections to be called, one must be created."

snip:"Salim Sbayta, 30, waiter

"I am for early elections. Our living conditions are unbearable and, God willing, early elections will solve the crisis because I think every citizen knows what it is we need in a government now."

snip:"Reem Akram, 20, university student

"Even though I'm a Fateh supporter, I'm against new elections. They will only lead to more chaos and infighting and instability. If Hamas is voted out, it will return to fighting and resistance."

snip:"Raed Thaher, 34, carpenter

"I am for new elections. We gave this government a chance for six months and they have been unable to provide what's necessary for the people _ such as food, work, or money."

link to full article:

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/6B6152C5-1CA4-4277-BA1D-117A785FA72E.htm

[pelsar]

4. what if hamas loses?...

or what if they win?...

an interesting note about democracies....they are more than just elections, they also include the right to defend itself. i.e. Hitler was elected democratically but proceeded to create a dictatorship