The premier of the caretaker Palestinian National Authority (PNA) government in the West Bank Sallam Fayyad is seeking to reshuffle his government into a larger one, while Islamic Hamas movement considers the reshuffle as " avoidance from reconciliation's merits."

A Palestinian source close to Fayyad told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that in the last few hours, Fayyad asked Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas if he could reshuffle his current cabinet into a larger one that includes more portfolios, instead of just fulfilling the empty ones.

The source added that Fayyad believes that the current structure of cabinet "has expired," and calls for forming a larger cabinet that fills empty portfolios on one hand, replace ministers and add new portfolios on the other hand to be able to face challenges of the coming period.

"But in fact, President Abbas' decision to make specific and limited reshuffle to the current government is basically facing big opposition by Fayyad himself, who is always interested in gaining a high extent of understanding with Abbas and the entire factions, mainly Abbas' Fatah party," said the source.

Meanwhile, Omer Helmi Ghoul, an aide to Fayyad for factional affairs, told Xinhua that the expected reshuffle will include filling in empty portfolios and most probably adding some new portfolios, but "contacts and consultations are still in the beginning."

"The question of reshuffling into a larger government is Fayyad 's right in accordance to the Palestinian basic law," said Ghoul, adding "the law says that when a government resigns and consultations on forming a new government start, the prime minister has the right to make the reshuffle he finds possible."

He went on saying that the expected reshuffle "would include figures nominated by the Palestinian factions, in addition to independent figures." Ghoul said that Fayyad is keen to keep strong deep ties with President Abbas based on mutual understanding.

An official governmental source revealed Friday to Xinhua that Fayyad had started his initial contacts and consultations to reshuffle his government "in a bid to treat the current ongoing error in its structure and improve its performance to face the current difficult challenges."

However, the source said that President Abbas is not in a hurry to finalize the reshuffle soon, as he is more engaged in the stalled peace negotiations with Israel and preparing the letter he intends to address Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in addition to the severe fiscal crisis his PNA is going through.

On Thursday night, Abbas announced in an interview broadcast by Palestine TV that there is a reshuffle in Fayyad's government, adding that if this issue "would hinder the internal reconciliation, it can be postponed... but still there is no space for more postponement."

"The reshuffle aims at renovating the current government and would include nominating new ministers to fill the empty portfolios and give a break to other ministers until a new transitional national unity is formed," said Abbas, referring to Doha reconciliation agreement reached in early February.

Over the past few months, the caretaker government headed by Fayyad, veteran Palestinian economist, was largely slammed due to the corruption case of two ministers, budget cut and the inflation in the West Bank.

Fayyad government suffers a major setback after four of its ministers resigned, two of whom for personal reasons and the other two accused of corruption. A fifth minister resigned after he slammed the government live on radio.

Meanwhile, Islamic Hamas movement considered the possible reshuffle in Fayyad's government as an attempt to undermine internal reconciliation. Salah el-Bardaweel, a senior Hamas leader in Gaza, slammed the idea of reshuffle and accused Fatah of not being serious to achieve reconciliation.

"The problem with implementing reconciliation is not an issue of making a reshuffle here or there. The major problem is that Fatah party doesn't have enough courage and determination to seriously implement the reconciliation understandings," said al- Bardaweel.

However, Amin Maqboul, member of Fatah revolutionary council, denied that the reshuffle in Fayyad's government "is a Fatah declaration that Doha deal had failed," adding that "the reshuffle was an issue before reconciliation, but if Hamas eases forming the transitional unity government, there will be no reshuffle."