Jimmy's Corner

Seems like Fatah had a last minute kick-ass plan to avenge its loss in the election to Hamas. In the last session for the Palestinian parliament Fatah could pass a new law boosting Mahmoud Abass's powers as a President. The new law gives the President the right to choose and appoint judges in the constitutional court without consulting the parliament. These judges have the right to determine whether the law accepted by the parliament are constitutionally correct or not. That way Mahmoud Abass can control the law passed by the parliament from his own office, which is a big blow to Hamas's overwhelming win in the election.

A closer look at the future consequences of this new boost of Abass's power makes me believe that Abass is forcing Hamas into taking the Fatah opinions into consideration even before they get an approval from the parliament. That's to say, if Hamas wants a law to be passed or a decision to be taken, they should go back to Fatah first to guarantee that their laws will be approved by the constitutional court.

Despite the fact that Abass's plan is meant to impose some restriction on the forth-coming Hamas prime minister and forcing Hamas to take into consideration the now-moderate Fatah's opinions, I do not really believe things will just go so peacefully or Hamas is going to accept the new status-quo imposed on them. I believe the negotiations over the laws will not be on tables in closed rooms, but in the streets with bullets fired on both sides.