Gaza - PA refugee affairs minister Dr. Atef Odwan has affirmed that the current PA elected government will strive hard and do all it can to serve the Palestinian people despite the crippling economic siege imposed by the USA, Israel,Canada and their local, regional, and international allies.
In an interview with the PIC correspondent, Odwan affirmed that the Palestinian arena was full of "undisciplined" political activity, and that the current PA government was trying with full vigor to overcome the obstacles placed before it after wining the mandate of the Palestinian populace.
But he acknowledged that there were certain parties in the Palestinian arena working against the Palestinian national unity and implementing the Israeli-American agenda, explaining that he won't name names at the moment to preserve talks on formation of the national coalition government.
He also explained that PA premier Ismail Haneyya and PA chief Mahmoud Abbas had agreed to disburse one-month salary for all PA employees before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan especially that Haneyya succeeded in securing 67 million dollars from Arab countries, and channeled them through Abbas' office.
Yet; Abbas, after his visit to the Washington, changed his mind and reneged on pledges he made to Haneyya of covering up the remaining money through borrowing from local banks.
"As everyone knows, we agreed to channel all the money allocated to the PA government through the PA presidency office out of our concern and consideration to the suffering of our Palestinian people", Odwan asserted.
He denied the abstention of any Arab country from paying their financial obligations to the Palestinian people, describing statements by the PLO's executive committee in this regard as "unfounded". It (PLO's EC), is unfortunately, trying to pressure us into compromising national constants of the Palestinian people.
Hamas still adhering to national harmony document and unity government:
The minister reiterated affirmations made by a number of Hamas political leaders that the Movement was very much concerned with forming a national unity government based on the agreed-upon national harmony document, adding that accusations made by certain Fatah leaders that Hamas reneged on its pledges in this regard weren’t true.
When asked why Hamas doesn't recognize Israel and relieve itself and the Palestinian people of the strangling blockade, Odwan retorted, "History and our people will damn us if we abandon Palestinian national constants and legitimate rights".
"The late PA chief Arafat had heeded their demands. He recognized Israel, stopped violence, and thwarted many armed operations planned by the Palestinian resistance against Israel; yet, all what he got from Israel was a poison that sent him to grave, and they want us to repeat the mistakes of our predecessors in the PA government, which will never happen ", Odwan underlined.
Hamas' options:
Asked what will be Hamas' options in case talks on unity government failed, Odwan firmly said, "In case such a scenario happens, then we will manage the affairs of our Palestinian people with all available means relying on Allah and then on the political and economic developments we are going to initiate".
Shrugging off threats by local parties of using force to push Hamas into leaving the government, the minister emphasized that the current PA government headed by Hamas is the "live and honest group in the Palestinian community" that neither the Palestinian people nor its armed forces would allow others to oust by force.
He also defended his government against allegations "arbitrarily" thrown by Fatah elements that the PA government was laying off Fatah cadres from public service and replacing them with Hamas elements, underscoring that Hamas had employed only 60 eligible personnel so far in addition to 24 others approved by the president.
Moreover, he explained that the PA government has its own program and agenda in serving the Palestinian people; but, he added, Fatah officials in the PA ministries refused to cooperate in implementing the government's program that spurred us to employ people who could achieve our objectives.
In conclusion, Odwan enumerated a number of national achievements, including paying all banks' debts, protecting the resistance, saving hundreds of millions of dollars that were previously wasted to erred practices and corruption in the previous PA governments among others that were intentionally not mentioned in the Palestinian local media for political and factional reasons.
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