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Sun 13 Apr, 2003 12:22 pm
Palestinian prime minister completes cabinet choices
Copyright © 2003 AP Online
By KARIN LAUB, Associated Press
JERUSALEM (April 13, 2003 10:57 a.m. EDT) - The incoming Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, has put the final touches on a new Cabinet, keeping the crucial position of security chief for himself and appointing several reformers and independents to other key jobs, senior officials said Sunday.
The composition of the 20-member Cabinet seems to suggests that Abbas is as serious about reforms as international Mideast mediators expect him to be. His Cabinet appointments still require the approval of the ruling party, Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement, and of the legislature.
The two votes could be held in the coming days. President Bush has said that once the new Cabinet is installed, he will formally unveil an internationally-backed "road map" to Palestinian statehood, a step that would start the clock ticking on the three-year plan.
In his Cabinet list - whose makeup was confirmed by three senior officials speaking on condition of anonymity - Abbas kept the post of interior minister for himself. That means he will have overall control over the security forces which are expected to round up Palestinian militants and try to prevent attacks on Israelis in the first phase of the U.S.-backed peace plan.
Abbas also appointed a former Gaza security chief, Mohammed Dahlan, as minister of state for interior affairs. It was not clear how responsibilities would be divided between Abbas and Dahlan in the area of security. However, both have criticized attacks on Israelis and enjoy the support of the international community. Dahlan has said he is confident he can restore order in the Palestinian areas.
The appointment of Dahlan could prove problematic since the Fatah movement, of which Abbas is a senior member, wants to retain the current interior minister, Hani al-Hassan. The Fatah Central Committee was to meet later this week to vote on the Cabinet list.
Only one minister from the outgoing Cabinet remains in the same post - Salam Fayyad, the finance minister, a former senior International Monetary Fund official who is widely seen as having done a credible job in putting the murky Palestinian money transactions, including some of Arafat's reputed slush funds, in order.
Abbas also created the new posts of external affairs and deputy prime minister.
Abbas' deputy as prime minister will be Nasser Yousef, a former senior security official and a moderate who has met with leading Israelis at his own initiative in the past.
Nabil Shaath, the outgoing planning minister, was given the external affairs portfolio. Shaath has extensive contacts with foreign leaders and for years has acted as the Palestinians' de facto foreign minister. Interim peace agreements had prevented the Palestinians from formally creating a foreign ministry.
Several outspoken reformers were also chosen for Cabinet posts, including Nabil Amr, who resigned from a previous Cabinet because of disagreements with Arafat and will now serve as information minister. Independent legislator Ziad Abu Amr was given the culture portfolio.
Abbas also appointed several professionals: Abdel Karim Abu Salah, a lawyer, was given the justice portfolio, businessman Azzam Shawa was appointed trade and industry minister and physician Kamal Shrafi was given the health ministry.
Two senior officials in the outgoing Cabinet, Local Affairs Minister Saeb Erekat and Information Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo, were given the lesser posts of ministers of state.
Arafat rejects Cabinet that excludes his allies
April 15, 2003 - London Times
Arafat rejects Cabinet that excludes his allies
From Robert Tait In Jerusalem
YASSIR ARAFAT, the Palestinian Authority leader, has rejected the proposed Cabinet drawn up by the man he chose as Prime Minister.
Palestinian sources say that Mr Arafat is furious at the choices of Mahmoud Abbas, the Prime Minister-designate, because they exclude many of his own supporters.
He is understood to be particularly angry at moves to give responsibility for security to Muhammad Dahlan, who is respected by America and Israel.
Mr Arafat's opposition could delay or even block approval of the proposed new Cabinet by Palestinian deputies. President Bush has made publication of an international peace "road map", which plans for an independent Palestinian State by 2005, conditional on the swearing-in of Mr Abbas's new government.
Mr Arafat created the post of Prime Minister under pressure from the United States and Israel, who refused to deal with him and demanded a new Palestinian leadership.
Mr Abbas, widely known as Abu Mazen, presented his proposed 22-member Cabinet, made up of many reform-minded technocrats in line with international demands, to Mr Arafat on Sunday. According to local reports, Mr Arafat threw the list on the floor in disgust.
Some sources also suggest that American officials were told of the list's contents before Mr Arafat.
Because of Mr Arafat's objections, a planned meeting of the central committee of his Fatah organisation to approve the new Cabinet was postponed.
The dispute comes after weeks of tension between Mr Abbas and Mr Arafat over the Prime Minister's powers and his chosen Cabinet.
Mr Abbas was given a two-week extension to form a government after reports that he had threatened to resign because of frustration over Mr Arafat's alleged interference. At the heart of the disagreement is the status of Mr Dahlan.
Mr Abbas planned to make him the Interior Minister, with powers over security issues. Such a move would please Israel because controlling the security forces is seen as crucial to cracking down on violent militant groups. Mr Dahlan and Mr Abbas have both criticised militant attacks on Israeli targets.
When Mr Arafat objected, pressing the case for his ally, Hani al-Hassan, to stay in the post, Mr Abbas tried to resolve the dispute by appointing himself Interior Minister, giving Mr Dahlan a lesser role with special security responsibilities. Still Mr Arafat was not satisfied.
Other prominent figures in Mr Arafat's administration faced demotion to secondary roles as ministers without portfolio, including the most visible officials: Saeb Erekat, the Local Government Minister, Yasser Abed Rabbo, the Information Minister ?- both of whom frequently act as spokesmen for Mr Arafat ?- and Maher al-Masri, the Trade Minister. The three have told Mr Abbas that they would not join the Cabinet, officials said.
Mr Abbas was hoping to present his Cabinet this week, but the last-minute manoeuvring threatened another delay. Mr Bush has expressed impatience over the drawn-out negotiations.
The "road map" calls for an end to 30 months of violence and the pullback of Israeli forces from forward positions in the West Bank, followed by provisional Palestinian statehood and negotiations over final status issues such as borders, Jerusalem, Palestinian refugees and Jewish settlements.
Israel has presented 15 requests for changes in the plan, insisting on ironclad procedures guaranteeing an end to Palestinian attacks before Israel makes any moves. The Palestinians say that Israel is trying to sabotage the plan. However, in a newspaper interview on Sunday, Ariel Sharon, the Israeli Prime Minister, indicated that he would be willing to uproot Jewish settlements in exchange for true peace with the Palestinians.
Although many locations in the West Bank are historically tied to Israel, Mr Sharon told the Haaretz daily: "I know that we will have to part with some of these places." He also said that a Palestinian state was inevitable.
His own Likud party rejects the creation of a Palestinian state.
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