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Abbas hints that he could disband a Hamas government

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas hinted yesterday that he was prepared to bring down Hamas' incoming government if its militant anti-Israel policies harm Palestinian interests.

"I will exercise my mandate and authority where and when needed to protect the higher interests of the Palestinian people," Abbas wrote in a letter to Hamas' designated prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, which was seen by reporters.

He didn't elaborate, but the Palestinians' de facto constitution, known as the Basic Law, empowers the president to disband the government. Abbas, who wants to negotiate a peace deal with Israel, is not expected to rush into taking such a step because it would provoke a constitutional crisis with Hamas, which swept Jan. 25 Palestinian legislative elections.

Hamas, whose charter calls for Israel's destruction, killed hundreds of Israelis in four years of fighting that began in late 2000. Although it has largely adhered to a 14-month-old cease-fire, it has rejected calls by Israel and the West to renounce its campaign against Israel and join the peace process.

The US and EU, which consider Hamas to be a terror organization, have threatened to cut off hundreds of millions of dollars in annual aid to the Palestinians once Hamas takes power next week.

A spokesman for the militant group, Sami Abu Zuhri, said Haniyeh would study Abbas' "observations." Neither he nor Haniyeh spoke about possible modifications to Hamas' program, which doesn't acknowledge a 1988 unilateral Palestinian declaration of independence that included a recognition of Israel.

Abbas was elected separately last year to a four-year term and wields considerable authority. He cannot impose his own Cabinet lineup on Hamas, however, because it controls an absolute majority in the Palestinian parliament.

His letter, delivered just two days before Haniyeh is to present his proposed Cabinet to parliament for approval, outlined his reservations about the new government's program. At the same time, Abbas said he would allow the government to be sworn in on Thursday without exercising his authority to compel it to modify its policies.
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