CAIRO, Feb. 8 (UPI) -- Hamas will nominate a moderate Islamic political activist as prime minister of the new government at the first session of the new parliament later in February.
A senior Hamas official, speaking to United Press International on condition of anonymity, said Hamas leaders meeting in Cairo decided unanimously to nominate Jamal Khodary, head of the Islamic University in Gaza, as the primary candidate to head the government which President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to ask the Islamic militant movement to form following their landslide victory in last month's general elections.
The official said the choice fell on Khodary, who is not a member of Hamas but a close supporter, "for his prominent activities, honesty and experience."
He said Hamas has two other candidates for the post of prime minister which it will nominate in case no consensus is reached over Khodary. Among them is Minister of Trade Mazen Sunkrat as second-favored candidate.
Hamas leaders from inside the Palestinian territories and the Diaspora met in Cairo over the past two days and called for the formation of a coalition government with the participation of Fatah and other Palestinian factions as well as technocrats.
Fatah, the backbone of the Palestinian Authority which suffered a painful defeat at Hamas' hands, has so far refused to join a coalition government.
Hamas, which refuses to recognize Israel or accept past peace agreements signed between the PA and the Jewish state, is avoiding nominating any of its members as prime minister in an attempt to avoid international pressure to change its stance.
The Hamas official said the movement also plans to nominate a large number of prominent Palestinian figures from outside Hamas in ministerial posts, including Ziad Abu Omar as foreign minister and political activist Mustafa Barghouti.
He said Hamas will also nominate Christian figures and women to ministerial posts, in line with the movement's principle of power sharing.
In a related development, a Hamas team will visit Arab, Asian and Latin American countries to brief them on the movement's stance and discuss means to back the Palestinian cause.
Politburo member Mohammed Nazzal said the team will be headed by Damascus-based Politburo Chief Khaled Meshaal and will visit Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Kuwait, Iran, Jordan, Turkey, Malaysia, South Africa, Brazil, Venezuela and Cuba.
