Palestinian factions agree to national unity government says Ma'an news agency

[13.55 GMT UPDATE - The Ma'an news agency was premature. News from Cairo suggests the negotiations have now broken down - more in a future post when the picture is clearer]
A spokesperson for the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, said on Wednesday evening that factions have agreed on the terms of establishing a national unity government.

Hamas spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum added that the government will be formed after elections, though the date has not been finally set.

In a statement to Ma'an, Barhoum said that "there is an agreement regarding the nature of the next government," and that it will be one of national unity, and will be temporary until the next Palestinian elections.

He said Palestinian officials in Cairo are "studying the issue of its political composition and the ministerial issues.”

Barhoum added that the Higher Coordinating Committees continued discussions and meetings on Wednesday in Cairo "with all seriousness and interest in all cases brought by the five committees regarding the Palestinian issue," pointing out that they considered a number of obstacles and unresolved issues related to the government, security and elections in order to complete discussions to solve them.

Speaking about the security file, Barhoum said, "This issue is still under discussion by the Higher Coordinating Committee in order to collect views from everyone."

On elections laws, Barhoum stressed that there are different views regarding the system, where Hamas wants to provide the opportunity for all Palestinians to participate in the elections process on the basis of a "mixed system."

From the Ma'an News Agency

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