Hamas on Saturday challenged the legitimacy of the emergency government that is to be sworn in by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas later in the day. In a news conference, Deputy Parliament Speaker Ahmed Bahar of Hamas said any government that does not win parliament approval is to be considered unconstitutional. Hamas has a majority in parliament, but the legislature stopped operating months ago, after Israel arrested most of the Hamas members. Bahar also said Hamas considers the Hamas-Fatah coalition headed by Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh to be the legitimate government, until a new one is formed. Abbas had dismantled the coalition, fired Haniyeh and appointed Finance Minister Salam Fayyad in his place, after Hamas took control of Gaza by force, the Associated Press reported.
