New Palestinian government to be formed in days: officials

AFP  |  Ramallah (Palestinian Territories) 

Palestinian prime minister-designate will announce the make-up of his new in the coming days, Palestinian officials said Monday.

Analysts say real decision-making power remains with 84-year-old Abbas, in power since 2005.

Abbas on March 10 charged Shtayyeh with forming the new government, replacing Rami Hamdallah's technocratic administration which had the nominal backing of

The Islamist movement controls the Gaza Strip, while the Abbas heads is based in the West Bank, where also maintains a military occupation.

Five smaller factions will also join in the new government, officials said.

Others, including the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, refused to take part.

told AFP a meeting would be held Monday evening between Shtayyeh and Abbas to decide on candidates for remaining ministries. He said agreements had been reached over which factions would control which ministries.

has criticised the formation of the government, accusing of a power grab.

and Fatah have been at loggerheads since the Islamists seized control of the in a 2007 near-civil war, a year after winning

Palestinian has effectively been frozen since, and multiple reconciliation attempts have failed.

Former Shtayyeh has been part of a number of Palestinian negotiating teams in US-brokered talks with

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First Published: Mon, April 08 2019. 18:50 IST