News from Ramallah. The Palestinian Legislative Council forces Arafat's cabinet to resign. Arafat's stall for time (I'll only appoint a prime minister after elections, which will only be after an Israeli withdrawal) did not work. Hey, a Palestinian opposition. What a concept. If only they could have acted like this before Arafat dragged them into total disaster, but then, before the disaster, Arafat's gunmen were stronger and better organized.
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ARAFAT'S CABINET FORCED TO RESIGN
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ramallah
In a major blow to Yasser Arafat, his 21-member cabinet was forced to resign Wednesday to avoid being ousted by parliament in a vote of no-confidence.
The showdown between the parliament and Arafat marked the most serious challenge to the Palestinian leader since he returned from exile eight years ago to take the helm of the Palestinian Authority.
"There is a crisis of confidence," said lawmaker Salah Taameri, a veteran member of Arafat's Fatah movement.
Just moments before lawmakers were to hold the vote Wednesday afternoon, cabinet ministers submitted their resignations to Arafat. The Palestinian leader accepted the resignation, making a vote unnecessary. A majority of legislators speaking Wednesday said they would not approve the cabinet.
Arafat has to present a new cabinet within two weeks, said Parliament Speaker Ahmed Qureia.
There has been widespread dissatisfaction with the cabinet, with many ministers considered either corrupt or incompetent.
Arafat responded to the criticism in June when he added five new ministers, widely considered hard-working and honest, as part of what he billed as major internal reforms. However, the changes were seen by many as largely cosmetic.
Hours beforehand, Arafat sought to avert a crisis and keep himself in power by setting a January 20 date for new elections.
But the gambit appeared to fail when parliament's legal committee decided to force a vote on the entire cabinet, which Arafat hoped to avoid
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