PALESTINIAN LEGISLATORS CONCERNED ABOUT PLC'S

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 001514

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/WATERS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/20/2017
TAGS: KWBG PGOV PTER IS KDEM
SUBJECT: PALESTINIAN LEGISLATORS CONCERNED ABOUT PLC'S
RELEVANCE

REF: A. JERUSALEM 1441

B. JERUSALEM 1463

Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: The Fatah PLC bloc intends to boycott the
July 22 PLC session called by the Hamas Acting Speaker.
Fatah and independent PLC members say they are concerned
about the future role of the PLC, given that the body has
been unable to convene with a quorum while the new government
is moving ahead without a PLC confidence vote. They said
they support PM Fayyad's government but want the PLC to play
a role in PA governance. End Summary.

FATAH BOYCOTTING HAMAS-CALLED PLC SESSION
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2. (SBU) Acting Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC)
Speaker Ahmad Bahar (Hamas) has called for a July 22 PLC
session to vote on the PA government headed by PM Salam
Fayyad. Hamas PLC deputy Salah al-Bardawil told Palestinian
press July 19 that Hamas intends to use the session to vote
no confidence in PM Fayyad's government.


3. (C) Fatah PLC bloc leader Azzam al-Ahmad told ConGen
PolSpec on July 19 that the Fatah PLC bloc will boycott the
session to prevent Hamas from achieving a quorum. (Note:
Due to the number of Hamas deputies in Israeli prisons, Hamas
cannot form a PLC quorum without Fatah participation. End
note). Al-Ahmad says this will allow President Mahmud Abbas
(Abu Mazen) to continue to rule by decree. Al-Ahmad said not
all legal experts agree with his interpretation of Article 43
of the Basic Law (providing for presidential decrees),but
said most Palestinians accept that PM Fayyad's government
will continue to operate if the PLC fails to convene.


4. (SBU) Al-Ahmad said Abbas and his advisors are debating
whether to leave Fayyad's government as is (the term
"caretaker government" does not exist in the PA Basic Law),
or to issue a decree confirming Fayyad's government until
such time as the PLC can legally convene. Al-Ahmad explained
that the debate is purely legal, as the government will
continue to function in either case.


FATAH/INDEPENDENTS: PLC STILL HAS
ROLE IN PALESTINIAN POLITICS
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5. (C) Fatah PLC member Fuad Kokali warned PolOff on July 16
that the PLC will become irrelevant if it repeatedly fails to
convene a quorum, and PLO institutions will become the
dominant governing organs. Jerusalem Fatah PLC member
Bernard Saballa echoed these concerns, telling PolOff that he
fears marginalizing the PLC will undermine Palestinians'
confidence in democracy. He said the PLC is paralyzed until
Hamas and Fatah reach an agreement, and he believes
Palestinians have given up on the PLC because it has
functioned so poorly. Saballa said he thinks the government
is recovering under PM Fayyad, and if Fayyad maintains an
image of clean governance he will generate popular support
and legitimacy for his cabinet.


6. (C) Independent Jerusalem PLC member and PLO Executive
Committee member Emil Jarjui told PolOff that President Abbas
must work within the Basic Law to maintain the new
government's legitimacy. He said the PLC is a necessary part
of PA governance and needs to give the government a
confidence vote. He argued that the July 18-19 PLO Central
Council (PLO-CC) meeting, which endorsed Abbas, decisions,
cannot replace the PLC.

Hamas: Not Ready to Break the Deadlock
--------------


7. (C) PLC member Bassam Salhi (Palestinian People's
Party) told PolOff that Hamas' principal reason for
boycotting PLC sessions July 11 and 14 and preventing a
quorum was its fear of losing its Speaker and Deputy Speaker
positions. Salhi believes this is of greater concern for
Hamas than a confidence vote for the new cabinet. He said
Hamas intends to wait for its legislators to be freed from
Israeli prisons and then control the PLC to counter President
Abbas' recent decisions. The solution, Salhi commented, "is
neither continued rule by former PM Haniyah nor a government
imposed by President Abbas, but rather a long-term strategy
to preserve national unity and democracy.8

Comment

JERUSALEM 00001514 002 OF 002


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8. (C) The Fatah PLC bloc appears generally unified in its
support for President Abbas and for PM Fayyad's government.
Both Fatah and Independent PLC members have a stake in
maintaining the PLC's relevance (and their personal
positions),however, and the PLC has historically resisted
strong presidential control even in previous times when Fatah
controlled both the presidency and PLC.
WALLES