LEAD: President Abbas to head Palestinian unity government

Feb 6, 2012, 11:07 GMT

Gaza City - President Mahmoud Abbas will become prime minister of a Palestinian unity government between his Fatah party and the rival Hamas movement, Palestinian officials said on Monday.

The agreement was sealed in Doha after talks between Abbas and exiled Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal.

The two movements agreed on a unity deal in May to end years of division, but the composition of the interim unity government, and the identity of its prime minister, were major sticking points.

'Both parties, Fatah and Hamas, are very serious about turning the page of division and starting a new page of reconciliation on all issues,' Mashaal said.

Abbas said: 'We did not sign for the sake of signing, but for the sake of implementation (of the reconciliation deal).'

The interim government will have to prepare for a legislative election. The unity deal calls for the poll to take place in May, but there are doubts whether this could be achieved.

Fatah and Hamas have been at loggerheads since 2007, when the Islamist movement seized the Gaza Strip after routing Fatah forces loyal to Abbas, who governs the West Bank.

It is unclear whether Salam Fayyad, the Western-backed prime minster of the West Bank administration, would serve in the interim government.

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