PA Minister of Justice uses dissolution of Palestinian Parliament to attack Hamas
Official PA TV News, on PA Minister of Justice Ali Abu Diyak speaking about the decision to dissolve the PA Parliament
PA Minister of Justice Ali Abu Diyak: “The constitutional court stood by the law and the will of the people, the source of authority. It is the Palestinian people’s right to have an elected and active Palestinian Parliament (Legislative Council) that implements its authorities under review, in legislation and in all of the areas of authority and responsibility granted to it by law. The entire Palestinian people, with all of its constituencies, is in favor of dissolving the Parliament and going to elections. The Hamas Movement – which committed a coup against the legitimacy and the law in the Gaza Strip (refers to 2007 Hamas takeover; see note below –Ed.) and is still carrying out a coup and abducting the Gaza Strip – has no right to talk about the law… The Hamas Movement – which appointed what they call judges, courts, and a public prosecutor’s office in the Gaza Strip, and publishes ‘laws’ or what are called ‘laws’ in the name of [PA] President [Mahmoud Abbas] and in the name of the Parliament while ascribing all of the titles to itself – has no right to talk about the composition of the constitutional court, or about the legality or illegality of this court. Hamas must implement the constitutional court’s decision on going to elections, and there is no other way…
By power of the constitutional court’s decision, the Parliament has dissolved, ended, and does not exist legally or constitutionally. No one can pretend to be a Parliament [member]… The Parliament has expired since the publication of the constitutional court’s decision…
No one is allowed to cast doubt on the PLO, the [PLO] Central Council, or the Palestinian National Council (i.e., the legislative body of the PLO). This is the Palestinian Parliament of the Palestinian state. No one has a right to undermine the decisions published by the Central Council, the National Council, and the PLO. The meeting that the Hamas Movement held at the Parliament building [in Gaza] this morning [Dec. 26, 2018] has no legal or constitutional value. This is just a continuation of the division and a strengthening of the [Hamas-Fatah] rift, and there is no value to such meetings, which are actually forbidden according to the constitutional court’s decision.”
2007 Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip - Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah won the 2005 Palestinian Authority Presidential election. However, Hamas won the 2006 parliamentary elections in both the Gaza Strip and West Bank, with a majority of 74 out of 132 seats, to Fatah's 45 seats. Fatah's rule of the PA Presidency and Hamas' rule of the PA government led to friction and eventually armed conflict between Hamas and Fatah. Hamas defeated Fatah militarily in the Gaza Strip in 2007, and since then Hamas has ruled in Gaza while the PA continues to rule the PA areas in the West Bank under Fatah.