Doha agreement: Qatar's coup against Egypt

Mehdi Shakibayi: The conclusion of Doha agreement by Fatah Secretary General, Abu Mazen and Hamas political bureau chief, Khaled Mashaal under which Abu Mazen receives the post of premiership in a next Palestinian Unity Government, has stirred conflicting reactions both among Hamas movement and in Egyptian authorities.

Egyptian authorities consider themselves for many years as supervisor of the Palestinian case and after the victory of the3 Egyptian revolution they successfully pulled the two major Palestinian groups of Hamas and Fatah to the desk of reconciliation in Cairo and reach a deal. The Qatari measure thus virtually bypasses the Cairo agreement and torpedoes the role of Egypt in resolving the Palestinian affairs.

Inside Hamas, many are angered at Mashaal’s bid in joining the Qatari measure and say he has not consulted senior Hamas leaders on the issue. They also note that under the Cairo agreement, Hamas could not accept Abu Mazen as premier.

Opponents of Abu Mazen’s premiership have upheld several legal reasons that Abu mazen could not be a next premier and called for the relevant articles in the Doha agreement to be written off. For one thing, they believe that any next premier in the unity government, either from Fatah or Hamas must be independently chosen based on consensus and since Hamas would never accepts Abu Mazen as premier, the Doha deal contravenes the Cairo agreement.

 The Palestinian Legislative Council too is legally demanded to fully supervise the activities of any next premier and premiers are bound to respond to the council. However, Abu Mazen as chairman of Palestinian Authority has always refused any supervision from the council. Even he shut down the legislative council in 2006 and several members of the council were jailed upon his direct order.

The Doha deal is thus virtually a failure and could not materialize a national reconciliation among the Palestinians.