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IN PALESTINE, HAMAS has rejected the rival Fatah movement’s nominee for prime minister today. It further complicates plans to unify the dueling governments in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and jeopardises international aid for the Palestinians.
Hamas’ opposition to Salam Fayyad’s nomination marked a key setback in the reconciliation process, which aims to form a caretaker government until elections are held next year.
Since the rival factions announced their reconciliation pact last month, aiming to end a four-year rift, they appear to have made little progress in implementing the program.
Fatah’s choice
Fatah and Hamas are set to meet this week in Cairo to begin the process of appointing members of the new government. It was not clear whether Hamas’ announcement Sunday was a final decision, or a bargaining tactic as the sides gear up to fill Cabinet posts.
Fayyad, the prime minister of the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority, was nominated by the Western-leaning Fatah over the weekend to remain in his post.
A US-educated economist, Fayyad enjoys the respect of foreign donors. President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah has concluded Fayyad’s reappointment would ease Western concerns that donor money would fall into the hands of Hamas, which the West considers a terrorist organisation.
Fayyad is a political independent, but Hamas believes he is nonetheless a political figure.
Hamas official Salah Bardawil told The Associated Press on Sunday that:
Hamas will not agree to grant Salam Fayyad the confidence to run the national unity government.
Fayyad’s office declined comment. Officials close to Abbas said they believe Hamas’ announcement was not final and expressed hope they would still be able to get Fayyad’s appointment approved. Hamas has floated several names but not yet announced a formal candidate.
Loggerheads
Fatah and Hamas have been at loggerheads since the Islamic militant group won parliamentary elections in 2006. A short-lived unity government disintegrated the following year, with Hamas routing forces loyal to Abbas and overrunning the Gaza Strip.
Since then, Abbas has governed in the West Bank only.
Reconciliation is essential for the Palestinians to fulfill their goal of establishing an independent state in the two areas, which lie on opposite sides of Israel.
The two factions have been divided over how to deal with Israel. Fatah favors peace with Israel, while Hamas has rejected international demands to renounce violence and recognise Israel’s right to exist.
Last month, Fatah and Hamas signed a deal in Egypt to end their rift and join together in a caretaker government. But implementation of the power-sharing deal has moved slowly.
Fearing international pressure on Hamas could jeopardize hundreds of millions of dollars in international aid, they have committed to putting together a Cabinet comprised entirely of apolitical technocrats. It remains unclear when they will be able to agree upon a slate of Cabinet ministers that is acceptable to the international community.
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the biggest obstacle is religion
The biggest problem is lack of education. I have lived in the AIDS capital of the world and religion was not the barrier there
religion is a barrier to education
Religion has nothing to do with this.
It’s lack of education and knowledge. Full stop.
I agree education is key, education in safe sex and removal of tribal cultures surrounding ‘cures’ for HIV, and especially key is the education of women – as they tend to be more likely to pass onto children, where culture and tradition have not yet become indoctrinated.
However, Africa has a boom in Catholicism: http://www.africamasterweb.com/AdSense/AfricaAndCatholicism.html
And the official Vatican stance and that of catholic relief and aid workers is that condoms are not to be condoned or distributed: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/health/jan-june11/vatican_05-30.html
This is despite condoms and testing being key to the decrease in HIV infections in the Western World.
Have you checked the numbers between countries with many Catholics and those with the highest AIDS rates? They might not match as closely as you believe.
Most of Southern Africa, which is where you will find those countries with the highest rates of AIDS are actually predominantly protestant:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIV/AIDS_in_Africa#Southern_Africa
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_by_country#Africa
Just to point out that I am actually an agnostic and so not a Church supporter but there’s no point blaming them for something that is not entirely their fault
Without getting into lies, damn lies, and statistics I would wonder how much of those protestants in Southern Africa are from an ex-pat background and therefore less likely to be an victim of HIV?
Like I say, I’m not discounting what you’re saying – I’d just like to see relief organisations (of which many are Catholic) move towards teaching and promoting safer sex, rather than unrealistic abstinence.
Most of the Africans in Southern Africa are protestant.
Most African catholics were converted by Catholic Missions who generally stayed around mid-Africa whereas the protestants (English, Dutch, etc.) settled and converted in Southern Africa.
I’ve grown up there. I know the statistics
I would like to say that I too, would like to see a realistic approach to teaching safe sex and use of condoms as opposed to using the ridiculous notions that Africans will follow the idea of abstinence
Siomha,
I remember Bishop Desmond Tutu addressing a WHO conference and declaring that the attitude of Catholic missionary and aid groups to condom use had exasperated the spread of the disease in Africa.
I’ve been living with HIV for seven years. If it wasn’t for the antiretroviral drugs I’d be dead. Huge advances in the treatment and decreases in the stigma attached to the virus have been achieved, but there’s still a long way to go. The virus is seen as a manageable disease and therefore not the threat is once was. This is folly. I wish the only impact on my life was the taking of a tablet each evening. Little is known about the long-term effects of these drugs; nor about the very real risk of dementia, cancers, pneumonia, skin conditions and the host of opportunistic infections being infected leaves you prone to. Education is everything.
Why does Concern’s Senior HIV Adviser never mention the use of CONDOMS to fight Aids in developing countries? NOT MENTIONED ONCE.
I find that surprising as well. Condoms are the main way to prevent the spread of AIDS and nearly all anti-AIDS campaigns use those as their main platforms.
Maybe it is more than just the use of condoms that is important?
Si it is more but they are the best way to prevent AIDS spreading. Every campaign should highlight that
Could have sworn I heard the news on the radio say infection in young people here had risen sharply
The article doesn’t break down the infection rates by demographics so you could be right. The overall trend seems to be going the right way.
You did hear that. Young men 24 to 39 at highest risk, I think. Ignorance is on the rise because the heyday of AIDS campaigning was 20 years ago when they were little kids.
Hmmm.. There were people in Swaziland eating faecal matter not so long ago because they couldn’t take their AIDS meds on an empty stomach (talk about skewed priorities – drugs are more important than FOOD now?)
This article also points out that in the place where new infections are rampant nutrition and sanitation leave a lot to be desired..
Wonder how many people in the 3rd world get “diagnosed” with AIDS when malnutrition and poor sanitation is the true reason their immune systems don’t work? Bearing in mind that the “tests” (ELISA and western blot) specifically state that they are unsuitable for determining the presence of HIV, a virus that has not been isolated. Rather these tests measure viral load and antibody response (and can test positive if you have the flu, are pregnant, or have just had a vaccine – hence the two tests taken several weeks apart).. There are people starving, they are obviously not adequately nourished, and instead of making sure that they can eat – drugs take priority (and companies like concern just keep pushing that appalling quality soy based muck and drugs approach rather than building self sustainability and organic farming)
I do not wish to detract from the seriousness of the problem, but something here reeks of fish..
have your say