New Palestinian government sworn in

Ramallah - A new 20-minister strong Palestinian government was sworn in Tuesday in Ramallah amidst boycott from three major Palestinian organizations, including President Mahmoud Abbas' own Fatah party, and criticism from the Islamist Hamas movement. Prime Minister Salam Fayyad presented his new and expanded government, which included seven ministers from his former caretaker government, seven from Fatah who did not heed the movement's boycott call, independents and members of smaller Palestinian factions. Fatah, the largest Palestinian political faction, wanted to head the new government instead of Fayyad, who belongs to a new and smaller party. Abbas, who is head of Fatah movement, has defied pressure from his own party in insisting to stay with Fayyad, a favourite of Western countries, as head of the new government. As a result, Fatah leaders called for a boycott of the new government and exerted pressure on its members not to join it. Minister of Interior Abdul Razzak Yehya was replaced by the governor of Ramallah, Said Abu Ali, who is from Fatah, while Foreign Minister Riad Malki remained in his post. In addition to the mainstream Fatah movement, two major Palestinian factions, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Palestinian People's Party, have also refused to join the new government. The two organizations wanted Abbas to wait until after the conclusion of national reconciliation talks with Hamas, which were expected to lead to the creation of a national unity government. They said the announcement of a new government will derail reconciliation talks. Hamas has also criticized Abbas' decision to form a new government, saying this step will end the reconciliation talks. Hamas spokesman in Gaza, Fawzi Barhoum, said in a statement that the formation of a new government at this time 'is a premeditated sabotage of the internal Palestinian dialogue and a threat to its future.'