Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Monday that talks between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Ismail Haneya on a national unit government were expected to begin on Tuesday.

"The talks were set to begin Monday, but it's likely to begin Tuesday," Erekat told the local radio Voice of Palestine.

Erekat stressed that any new Palestinian government should meet conditions put forward by the Middle East Quartet, namely recognizing Israel, renouncing violence and abide by previous peace deals.

"In the UN Security Council session, there was international consensus that any Palestinian government has to meet principles of the Quartet and Arab and international legitimacy," said Erekat.

He said that Hamas, as a movement, was not asked to recognize Israel, but noted that the government is different from a movement.

"It (Hamas) has to know that the government was all people's government, not only Hamas' one," said the chief negotiator.

"We hope that everyone understand the people's interest has to be of great priority," said Erekat, calling for an end to the current crisis in the Palestinian territories.

On Sept. 11, Abbas announced that an agreement was reached with the ruling Islamic Resistance Movement, or Hamas, to form a national unity coalition government.

However, Hamas was accused of reneging on the former agreement with Abbas during the latter was in New York for the UN General Assembly last week.

On Saturday, after a meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo, Abbas said efforts with Hamas to form a national unity government have gone "back to zero".

Source: Xinhua