The outgoing Palestinian parliament granted President Mahmoud Abbas new powers Monday, just days before Hamas was to take control of this elected body.
In their final session, MPs from Abbas' Fatah Party gave the Palestinian leader the authority to appoint a new constitutional court that would serve as the final arbiter in disputes between him and a Hamas-led government, the AP reported.
On its part, Hamas described the 11th-hour legislation "illegitimate" and vowed to overturn it. One of its incoming legislators called the legislation "a white coup."
The legislators also appointed Fatah loyalists to four key posts, including the head of the government watchdog group in charge of weeding out official corruption.
Hamas would need a two-thirds majority, say 88 of 132 seats in parliament, to change Monday's legislation. The Islamic Movement will control 74 seats in the new parliament. The new Hamas-dominated legislature is scheduled to convene for the first time on Saturday.
Parliament empowered Abbas to appoint a new, nine-judge constitutional court that would have the authority to resolve any dispute between him and the incoming Hamas-dominated parliament or Cabinet. The court also could veto legislation deemed to violate the Palestinian Basic Law.
Hamas spokesman Said Siyam reacted by saying parliament had no right to make last-minute changes and the movement would overturn the old parliament's decisions. "The parliament has no mandate and no authority to issue any new legislation," he said, calling Monday's action "illegitimate."
Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas official stressed that the new government would not endorse the appointments and promotions made during the transitory period. He pointed out that a big number of appointments were being made in the absence of necessary qualifications and special conditions for appointment in a bid to hamper the Hamas' reform plans.
According to PIC, Abu Zuhri explained that filling such positions with unqualified cadres would block Hamas's bid to open these jobs for those who really deserve them.
