By Xinhua,
Gaza : Dismissed Hamas government on Monday expanded by embodying new ministers and is awaiting vote of confidence, a spokesman for the government said in Gaza city.
The nominee ministers “would be put for confidence voting before the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC),” said the spokesman Taher al-Nounou.
Since Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas fired the Hamas-led government in June 2007, only four ministers were running the government in addition to Prime Minister Ismail Haneya.
Fatah lawmakers argue that the expansion of the government was illegitimate since Haneya and his government were fired by a presidential decree.
But Ahmed Bahar, deputy speaker of the PLC of which Hamas dominates the majority, defended Haneya’s decision, saying the parliament will convene as soon as it is called for to discuss the confidence voting. He added the expansion was legal.
President Abbas of Fatah movement fired the government after Hamas took over the Gaza Strip by force and routed his security troops.
He formed a western-back government ruling from West Bank while Hamas kept ruling Gaza under increased economic sanctions and military escalation by Israel.