Abbas gets power boost from outgoing parliament

RAMALLAH, West Bank - The outgoing Palestinian parliament boosted President Mahmoud Abbas's powers in what Hamas said was a last-minute bid to keep the Islamic militant group in check after its sweeping election win.

In a final act before ceding to a newly elected Hamas-led parliament on Saturday, members of Abbas's Fatah party approved an amendment to an existing law which will give Abbas the authority to appoint judges to the Palestinian constitutional court without seeking legislative approval.

Preparing to take the reins of power, Hamas said it would try to overturn the vote. Judges appointed by Abbas to the court could be asked to decide whether laws approved by a Hamas-led parliament are constitutional.

Earlier in Gaza, Hamas said it had chosen one of its leaders to be the next Palestinian prime minister, but refused to name him and said it was poised for formal talks with other factions on forming a national unity government.

In a flare-up in violence, Israeli soldiers killed a 25-year-old Palestinian woman in southern Gaza, Palestinian officials said.

An Israeli military source said the soldiers fired warning shots after spotting two suspicious figures heading towards a patrol, but did not say whether a woman was struck.

Abbas's long-dominant Fatah faction was trounced in the January 25 parliamentary election by Hamas, which is dedicated to Israel's destruction and popular among Palestinians for its anti-corruption reputation.

A Hamas prime minister could complicate any Middle East peace efforts because Israel and the United States have said they will not talk with members of the group until it renounces violence and recognises Israel.

Abbas, a moderate who advocates peace with Israel, has good relations with Washington and would be expected to take the lead in any future peace negotiations.

The new law was approved by a vote of 41 to 3 with one abstention, despite protests from Hamas members in attendance as observers before they are sworn in.

Some of Hamas's newly elected parliamentarians shouted at Fatah lawmakers after the vote, accusing them of overstepping their authority and trying to undo the election.

"This law means giving full powers to President Abbas to dissolve parliament any time he wishes," said Hamas's Abdel-Aziz Dweik, who was elected to represent the West Bank city of Hebron.

Dweik said parliament had taken an "illegal" action, but acknowledged it would be difficult for Hamas to reverse the decision since doing so would require a two-thirds vote.

Hamas won 74 seats in the 132-seat parliament, short of the two-thirds required, although it could get a boost from a clutch of independents.

Palestinian negotiator and Fatah lawmaker Saeb Erekat defended the changes as necessary to "strengthen the separation of powers between the judicial branch, the executive and the legislative branch".

"This is a legal session... We are not conspiring against anybody. We are simply doing our jobs," Erekat said.

In recent days Abbas has issued several presidential decrees to expand the powers of his office.

Before the amendment was passed, the law required parliament to approve presidential appointments to the judiciary.

The amendment calls on the president to consult with the judicial council and justice minister, who is expected to be a Hamas member.

In Gaza, several sources close to Hamas's deliberations for a new prime minister said Ismail Haniyeh, head of its parliamentary slate, was a top contender for the post.

Haniyeh is a pragmatist who survived an Israeli air strike in 2003 targeting Hamas's leadership. But his militant background could be a further provocation to the United States.

Hamas has masterminded nearly 60 suicide bombings against Israelis since a Palestinian uprising began in 2000, but has largely adhered to a truce declared last March.

- REUTERS