Hamas insists on holding interior ministry alone: leader

Hamas leader in Gaza City Atef Edwan said on Wednesday that his movement will solely hold the portfolio of interior ministry in any cabinet.

Edwan said in press statements that if Hamas wants to stop chaos and security deterioration prevailing in the Palestinian territories, "it has to operate the ministry of interior by itself under any circumstances."

Hamas will not leave the ministry to any other sides who may join the cabinet, he added.

Although Hamas faces crisis on both the Israeli and international affairs, the movement "will fight up to the last breathe to form a national coalition cabinet to carry out the responsibilities received by the cabinet," Edwan asserted.

Any side who won in the Jan. 25 parliamentary elections "sure would form the cabinet," said Edwan, adding that if Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas asked the movement to form the cabinet, " Hamas will start immediately holding dialogues with all powers and factions."

Edwan earlier announced that the new parliament would prepare a legal structure to organize the security apparatuses, following Hamas' landslide victory in the Jan. 25 parliamentary elections by garnering 74 seats out of the 132 parliament seats up for grabs.

Edwan himself also won in the northern Gaza Strip constituency.

Source: Xinhua