Arafat is going to ditch the post of sock puppet, I mean PA prime minister:
Arafat reportedly may ditch PM post
By KHALED ABU TOAMEH
Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat is considering canceling the post of prime minister in response to the understandings reached between Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and US President George W. Bush over the future of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, senior PA officials in Ramallah said Wednesday.
Arafat agreed last year to share power with a prime minister following heavy pressure from the US, Israel, and the European Union. The first prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, was forced to resign after less than four months following sharp differences with Arafat. His successor, Ahmed Qurei, has been in the job for more than four months.
The officials said Arafat was studying the possibility of abrogating the post of prime minister in protest against the Sharon-Bush deal and in an attempt to solidify his grip on the PA.
"This would be the best response to the new Balfour Declaration which Bush presented to Sharon," said one official. "The Americans must know that the Palestinians have an elected leader who is the only one authorized to speak on their behalf."
PA Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath confirmed Thursday that the cancellation of the post of prime minister was one of the options being discussed by the PA leadership.
"It's on the table, but there isn't a final decision on this matter," he said. "We are also discussing other options."
Shaath refused to elaborate, but some PA officials said the other options include a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state on all the territories captured in 1967 and dissolving the PA.
Shaath accused Israel of deliberately escalating the situation in attempt to break the Palestinians' will and force them to succumb.
"The escalation will not bring peace or stability to the region," he said. "It will only bring more instability and drag the region towards a further deterioration."
Qurei is facing growing criticism from Palestinians because of his failure to make any achievements. The Palestinian Legislative Council has prepared a report slamming the performance of Qurei's cabinet. Many legislators are threatening to support a no-confidence vote in his cabinet next week, holding it responsible for the continued state of anarchy and lawlessness in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
A parliamentary committee has also launched an investigation into allegations that a cement factory owned by Qurei's family is supplying concrete for building the security fence and houses in Jewish settlements. At least three senior PA officials have been named in connection with importing cement from Egypt on behalf of Israeli companies. The affair is known in the PA as the "cement scandal."
Unconfirmed reports in Ramallah said Qurei told Arafat last week that he is no longer interested in continuing in his job. According to the reports, Arafat asked Qurei to stay on until the PA leadership decides on its next moves in the aftermath of the Sharon-Bush deal and the assassination of Hamas leaders Ahmed Yassin and Abdel Aziz Rantisi.
Hassan Abu Libdeh, director of Qurei's bureau, denied that Qurei had already submitted his resignation to Arafat, stressing that "all options remain open." He confirmed, however, that Arafat was considering canceling the post of prime minister.
"There's nothing wrong about this and it has been discussed several times in the past," Abu Libdeh said. "The cabinet is now in the process of reviewing its policy in light of Washington's total bias toward Israel."
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