President Mahmoud Abbas accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Salam Fayyad on Friday night, marking the end of the legal 30-day period allowed for the emergency government. He then mandated Fayyad to form a new government before reappointing all of the former ministers along with two new ones. Abbas has requested that this new government carry out all of its required duties until it can be ratified by the Legislative Council at a later stage.

The “resignation” of the emergency government was preceded by a presidential decree issued by Abbas authorizing the swearing in of the three new ministers: Culture minister, Ibrahim Ibrash; Ali Khashan, Minister of Justice; and Tahani Abu Daqa, Minister of Youth and Sports.

The new government, which Abbas insists was formed within the boundaries of the Palestinian Basic Law, is expected to receive ratification by the PLO’s Central Committee, scheduled to meet on July 18.

According to Palestinian law, no government is considered constitutional until it receives a vote of confidence from parliament. However, since the PLC has not been able to form the legal quorum to hold a session [40 Hamas members are in Israeli prisons while the remainder boycotted the PLC meeting called by Abbas last week], Abbas and Fayyad supporters say the president must manage the government without it.

Hamas has rejected the formation of the new government, calling it unconstitutional. In his Friday sermon in Gaza City, dismissed Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Abbas has not received parliamentary approval for his government, therefore rendering it illegal. He also said Hamas rejected Fateh’s conditions for dialogue, saying his movement would not ‘beg’ to talk to Fateh. He did, however, reiterate his call for unconditional dialogue in order to end the rift between the two movements.