Palestine cannot wait for UN recognition forever - Abbas
MOSCOW. March 15 (Interfax) - Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said that he expected the UN to recognize Palestine's independence, otherwise he intended to act at his own discretion.
Abbas said in an interview with the Russia Today TV channel that the Palestinians now had the right to receive membership in any international organization. Of course, they were a little behind with this work, but hoped that the talks, which are already being held, would result in Palestine becoming a sovereign state and in solving its problem politically. Israel has been persisting and balking for four to five years and the Palestinians think that the UN is to make the decision, he said.
The Palestinians, he said, were still waiting today. If these talks will lead to the results they aspire to, they will be able to turn to international organizations any time. If not, then the Palestinian people have the right to act on their own discretion, the Palestinian leader said.
In late 2012, the UN General Assembly satisfied the Palestinian request and granted it the Observer State status. The Israeli authorities have condemned this decision.
When asked about the national reformation of Palestine, Abbas said that the key point would be establishing an interim government.
Abbas said thus a compromise was reached: when Fayyad's government leaves, and Abbas heads a new government, with which Hamas agrees. Hamas insisted that Abbas should head the independent technocratic interim government. The next step in this process is holding general elections, Abbas said.