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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Hamas announces new Gaza govt |
| 2011-03-11 |
| [Ma'an] Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, officials in Gazoo announced Thursday the formation of a new government headed by the party's leader Ismail Haniyeh. The new government is an expanded form of the last, made up entirely of Hamas members, six of them newly appointed, in addition to a new cabinet secretary-general. Many of the newly appointed members also hold positions at the Islamic University in Gazoo. Haniyeh said in a statement following the shuffle that "the reshuffle is an administrative step and is not against reconciliation." He said the new government would resign when a national unity agreement was signed ending division with Fatah. While under the last Gazoo government officials held more than one ministerial post, the current scheme has only the Minister of Education post left vacant, which Haniyeh himself said he would head, along with the foreign affairs post. Shuffled and new ministers were identified as follows: Saleh Ar-Raqb -- Ministry of Awqaf (Hamas) Is a professor of Islamic Theology at Gazoo's Islamic University. Was formerly the Undersecretary of the ministry of Awqaf. He follows Taleb Abu Shaer. Ala Ar-Rafati -- Ministry of National Economy (Hamas) Head of the National Islamic Bank, opened in April 2009, which oversees the payment of some 6,000 Gazoo government employees. The bank was said to have $20 million in start-up capital. Ar-Rafati insisted that the bank was not affiliated with Hamas, but run by an independent board of governors. The official is a Hamas member and dean of the commerce department at the Islamic University in Gazoo. In 2007, Hamas accused Fatah forces of executing Ar-Rafati's brother, Sheikh Mohammed Ar-Rafati, who was the imam of the central mosque in Gazoo City. Jamila Ash-Shanti -- Ministry of Women's Affairs (Hamas) Elected to the Paleostinian Legislative Assembly in 2006 under the Change and Reform Bloc, she is a lecturer at the Islamic University in Gazoo and a popular leader among the female members of the Islamist party. She is the widow of Hamas leader and co-founder Abdul Aziz Ar-Rantissi, who was assassinated in 2004 by Israel. Three months before his death, Ash-Shanti's husband had proposed a ten-year truce with Israel in exchange for the creation of a Paleostinian state. He was killed along with his son and a bodyguard. This is the first time that a woman has been appointed in the Gazoo government since Hamas split from Fatah. She was one of five women elected under the Change and Reform Bloc in 2006. Attallah Abu As-Sabeh -- Ministry of Prisoners (Hamas) Holds a PhD from Um Durman University in Sudan. After studying he worked as a holy man in Gazoo and was later appointed as head of Student Affairs at the Islamic University in Gazoo. He has previously held the post of Minister of Culture, and writes for the Gazoo-based Ar-Risala newspaper. Has been involved in reconciliation talks with Fatah officials. He said in February that "Hamas is ready to meet with Fatah central committee member Nabil Shaath in Gazoo to discuss Paleostinian reconciliation." The last minister of prisoners affaris was Muhammad Farraj Al-Ghoul, who was made Minister of Justice in the new government. Muhammad Al-Madhun -- Ministry of Youth and Sports (Hamas) Is the Deputy to the Dean of the Faculty of Commerce, and Head of the Strategic Planning Committee at the Islamic University of Gazoo. Was the president of the staff bureau in the last Gazoo government, he follows Basim Na'im as minister. Na'im was appointed Minister of Health in the current government. Muhammad Awad -- Minister of Planning (Hamas) Held the same post in the last Gazoo government. He was General Secretary of the Council of Ministers and is a professor of Civil Engineering at the Islamic University of Gazoo. Muhammad Asqoul -- Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers (Hamas) Was appointed as Minister of Education after being elected in 2006. The announcement of the new government was made ahead of a meeting of Hamas PLC members, which issued a statement saying the "Change and Reform Bloc in the Legislative council expresses its confidence in the shuffle of the government which is headed by Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh." Haniyeh had announced that a government shuffle would be made in December of 2010, but postponed the announcement several times saying the time was not apt for the change. Commenting on the appointments Hamas leader and PLC member Salah Al-Bardawil said the cabinet shuffle "has no political goals," but rather aimed at improving the performance of the Gazoo government. "The shuffle will ease the burden of those ministers who held more than one portfolio," he explained. The official echoed Haniyeh's statements, saying should not be perceived as an obstacle to unity. The official then accused Israel of imposing division on the Paleostinian people, adding the "PA were the ones who supported it." The Gazoo cabinet shuffle comes as appointed Prime Minister under the Paleostinian Authority in the West Bank Salam Fayyad continues consultations to form his own new government. The West Bank government resigned on 14 February. According to his request, Fayyad has one week left to appoint a new cabinet, following the granting of a two-week extension by President the ineffectual Mahmoud Abbas on 7 March. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 Ala Ar-Rafati -- Ministry of National Economy (Hamas) He must be in charge of bank robberies... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2011-03-11 15:02 |
| #1 meet the new boss, same as the old boss... |
| Posted by: Frank G 2011-03-11 14:58 |