Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and negotiators from the Hamas group have reached agreement in principle on a new government, but they still need to wrap up some important details, a Hamas Cabinet minister said Monday. Top Hamas leaders also have yet to decide whether to accept the compromise proposal. Under the emerging plan, the current Hamas-led Cabinet would step aside in favor of a government of experts, in hopes that it would be acceptable to the West and help end a crippling international aid boycott. Hamas would appoint eight ministers and Abbas' Fatah would choose four, with the remainder of the portfolios awarded to smaller parties. The new prime minister would be chosen by Hamas. Hamas' supreme decision-making body, the secret Shoura Council, is to decide in the coming days whether to accept the proposal. If Hamas accepts, Abbas is to head to Gaza for a meeting with Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas. Wasfi Khabaha, a Hamas Cabinet minister, told The Associated Press he expected the meeting between Abbas and Haniyeh to take place by Wednesday. «We can say we have reached an agreement with the brothers in Fatah, but there are some points that need to be finalized between the president and the prime minister,» he said.
