Continuing reconciliation between the two Palestinian parties of Fatah and Hamas is vital. The slow momentum which has built up since they signed a reconciliation pact on May 4 must not be allowed to stop. An agreed interim government is their main priority, since without such an agreement the Palestinians will not be able to go to the United Nations in September and seek recognition as a state, nor will they be able to seek UN support to end the blockade of Gaza.

The interim government the two parties are designing at present will administer the Occupied Territories, but more importantly it will also have to prepare for presidential and parliamentary elections in a re-united Palestine within a year. The Israelis would love to see this process fail, and they are actively working to stoke suspicions on both sides.

So it is a real issue when Hamas says that it cannot accept Fatah's candidate Salam Fayyad as prime minister in the interim government. Hamas says that it will accept no minister who has taken part in "violations" against Hamas during the four years of division. This may not be possible since any Palestinian who has held a position in the government will have taken part in actions against Hamas.

Fayyad is a respected technocrat who has done a very good job as prime minister. He is a political independent who has delivered efficient government even if he has not offered a powerful political lead, which he left to President Mahmoud Abbas. But his excellent track record may not be enough to win over the highly suspicious Hamas who want a fresh start.

Neither side should get stuck supporting their preferred candidates. It is far more important that they come to a general agreement on a way forward so that the Palestinian nation can retake control of its own affairs.