Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas intends to form an extended government in the West Bank soon, a spokesman said on Saturday.

"Mr. Abbas did not yet start the formation but he intends to form an expanded government soon," said spokesman Nabil Abu Rdineh.

However he denied reports that Abbas had already asked Salam Fayyad, who now heads a caretaker government based in the West Bank, to form a new government.

The caretaker government was created in June 2007 after Abbas' Fatah-dominated security forces lost control of the Gaza Strip to Hamas -- Fatah's bitter rival.

Abbas' intention to expand the West Bank government comes as Hamas and Fatah have yet agreed on forming a unity government after four rounds of intensive reconciliation talks brokered by Egypt and held in Cairo.

Hamas has condemned any possible step to be taken by Abbas to form or reshuffle the government of the West Bank, terming it as a strike to the Cairo dialogue.

"This is an early measure aimed at blowing up all the gains of the rounds of the dialogue," said Fawiz Barhoum, a spokesman for the Islamic Hamas movement.

Barhoum said a new government would be "part of the constitutional chaos that Abbas established when he formed the current Fayyad-led government without presenting it for confidence voting" before the Hamas-dominated parliament.

During the past rounds of dialogue in Cairo since March, Hamas and Fatah have agreed to hold elections by January 2010 and continue talks on the shape and formation of a possible government.

The next round of Palestinian reconciliation talks is scheduled for May 16-17.

(Xinhua News Agency May 3, 2009)