Mahmoud Abbas reconstituted the Palestinian Authority emergency government.
The tenure of a loyalist Cabinet formed by Abbas last month after his break with Hamas expired Friday night, in line with constitutional limitations on the duration of a state of emergency. Hours before the deadline, the Palestinian Authority president issued decrees effectively converting the emergency government into a caretaker government. Three new ministers were added for greater stability.
By law, the caretaker government can function for up to five weeks before Salam Fayyad, the Palestinian Authority prime minister, must form a permanent Cabinet and seek its ratification. Hamas, which swept legislative elections last year and accuses Abbas of using his executive powers to circumvent Palestinian democracy, said it would try to block Fayyad in parliament.
