A Hamas senior official has said that the movement opposes Fatah’s candidate, Salam Fayyad, for the post of prime minister in the coming unity government.

In an interview in Gaza with Ahram Online, Hamas senior leader Salah Al-Bardawil revealed that the movement had made its final decision on Fayyad’s candidacy.

Fatah’s central committee, headed by President Mahmoud Abbas, agreed to throw their support behind Prime Minister Fayyad during a meeting Saturday night.

The decision ends weeks of speculation about whether Fatah would push for Fayyad to retain his post at the head of the transitional government of independents mandated by a unity deal that Hamas and Fatah signed last month.

“Fayyad’s policies insulted the Palestinian people and put their interest and their daily needs at the bottom of the agenda,” Al-Bardawil said.

He added that Fatah’s leaders did not mention during negotiations for the reconciliation agreement their support for Fayyad as prime minister.

On the issue of western approval of the deal, Al-Baradwil said that it is not necessary to tie Palestinian reconciliation with seeking financial aid from Washington, adding that there are Arab states willing to fund the new government without attaching any conditions or interfering in the Palestinian people’s choice of the their prime minister.

He added that Hamas government was able to cover part of its finical deficit, despite the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip.

“Fayyad is no genius, his policies have increased the Palestinian authority debt over the last few years,” Al-Bardawil continued.

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