Palestinian prime minister designate Salam Fayyad on Monday urged the Hamas-led parliament to convene within a week to vote on the interim government he has established. The new government replaces the 30-day emergency cabinet he has headed since Hamas' take-over of Gaza in mid-June. Fayyad sent a letter to Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) Deputy Speaker Hassan Khreishe, calling on him to convene a PLC session as soon as possible, a statement from Khreishe's office said. Hamas, however, has rejected the new government just as it had rejected the emergency cabinet. It is likely to boycott the parliamentary session to avoid a quorum and a vote on the government, DPA reported. If it does, Fayyad's unratified government will continue to act as an interim administration for an indefinite period of time, until a PLC session is possible.
