PA prime minister denies statement published in his name that Ministry of Prisoners' Affairs will be turned into an authority

“The Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Consensus [Government], Rami Hamdallah, denied what was published in his name yesterday [June 6, 2014] by the PA’s official news agency, about the Ministry of Prisoners’ Affairs having been closed and [about the] action being taken to transform it into an authority subordinate to the PLO – a move which Hamas, in an initial response, termed a ‘coup against the reconciliation.’ At a press conference held after the first meeting of the National Consensus Government on Tuesday morning [June 3, 2014], Hamdallah said that what the media outlets had discussed with respect to the transformation of the Ministry of Prisoners’ [Affairs] into an ‘authority’ was incorrect, and added: ‘turning the Ministry of Prisoners’ [Affairs] into an authority is under the PLO’s authority, not the government’s. The Ministry of Prisoners’ [Affairs] still exists, and is run by Minister of Social Affairs Shawqi Issa,’ he said.
WAFA, the official PA news agency, noted yesterday that the Prime Minister of the National Consensus Government, Rami Hamdallah had said, in private statements made a few hours after being sworn in, that it had been decided to transform the Ministry of Prisoners’ Affairs into an ‘authority’ subordinate to the PLO, and that the task of overseeing it has been entrusted to Minister of Social Affairs Shawqi Issa until the process of its transformation has been completed.”