Zahhar: Shura Council Will
Choose Next Hamas Chief
Hamas’ Shura Council will select the movement’s next chief
when Khalid Mashaal steps down, senior official Mahmoud Zahhar
said Thursday.
Mashaal confirmed on Saturday that he does not seek
renomination as head of the party’s politburo in upcoming
elections, prompting speculation over who would take over the
role.
Zahhar said the Shura Council was the only body with the
authority to select the next party leader. "No one can
nominate himself to lead the political bureau."
Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and Mashaal’s deputy Mousa
Abu Marzouq have been reported as possible candidates for the
position.
Zahhar’s comments were made at a press conference after the
first session of the Palestinian Legislative Council since
2007. The parliament had been paralyzed by the rivalry between
Hamas and Fatah and Israel’s detention of Palestinian MPs.
Hamas called the meeting to discuss Israel’s imprisonment of
PLC speaker Aziz Dweik, along with 26 other PLC members.
Israel has jailed four lawmakers in the last week, two of whom
were detained at the International Red Cross headquarters in
East Jerusalem.
Senior Hamas official Ahmad Bahar said Wednesday that
invitations had been sent to all PLC members to attend the
session in Gaza City.
Several factions were not represented at the session.
Zahhar did not know why lawmakers failed to attend but said he
considered their absence a "huge mistake."
(Ma’an News)