JERUSALEM -- The emergency Palestinian government led by Salam Fayyad stepped down yesterday to be replaced by a caretaker Palestinian government led by - Salam Fayyad.
The new government is exactly like the old one, with a few more ministers. But it will have an indefinite mandate as long as the current Palestinian parliament is unable to form a quorum.
The move was required because the emergency Cabinet, named by President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah, after he fired the government led by Prime Minister Ismail Haniya of Hamas, could legally last for only 30 days unless the parliament ratified it.
But when Abbas called a session of the parliament, Hamas boycotted it, preventing a quorum. Hamas did so because so many of its legislators are in Israeli jails, it would have lost the majority it won in January 2006.
In response, Abbas decreed that the emergency government would become the Fayyad caretaker government until either the parliament meets or there are new elections, both unlikely because of Hamas' opposition.
Hamas is in control of Gaza, so Fayyad's writ extends basically to the occupied West Bank. He is also trying to pay the salaries of all Palestinian Authority employees hired before the end of 2005.