Arafat loyalists challenge proposed Abbas cabinet

Jerusalem Post ^ | 4-116-03 | KHALED ABU TOAMEH

[SJackson]

Palestinian Authority Prime Minister-designate Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) has decided to postpone the presentation of his cabinet to the Palestinian Legislative Council until Wednesday to give himself another day to try to assure its approval.

The PLC was originally due to meet Tuesday to vote on the cabinet. Wednesday is the last day on which the vote can be held.

The sources said Abbas fears many Arafat loyalists in the PLC plan to vote against the cabinet.

"There is very strong opposition to the cabinet among Fatah legislators," said one source. "Many of the legislators are asking questions about the cabinet and its agenda. They are saying they would not support a government that is appointed by the US."

A senior Fatah official in Ramallah said he and many of his friends are "disgusted" by the intervention of external forces in the composition of the cabinet. He said he did not rule out the possibility that the legislators would set an "ambush" for Abbas in order to embarrass him and force him to quit.

Referring to Egypt's role in reaching last week's agreement between PA Chairman Yasser Arafat and Abbas, the official added: "If the Egyptians are so eager to have Abbas as prime minister, why don't they take him to Cairo and name him as their prime minister."

Another Fatah legislator said Abbas is mistaken if he believes the PLC will act as a rubber stamp for his cabinet. "I don't believe there is a majority in the council for Abbas's list of ministers," he said. "If this is a cabinet whose primary aim is to sideline President Arafat and serve Israel's interests, then we don't want it."

Abbas, who has been holding round-the-clock consultations with PLC members in an attempt to muster a majority, broke his weeks-long silence Sunday to declare that he would not visit Washington to discuss peace moves until Israel allows Arafat to travel freely again.

His announcement was seen as an attempt to appease critics who have accused him of trying to undermine Arafat's authority by inviting foreign intervention in internal Palestinian affairs.

Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Nabil Shaath urged the PLC to approve the cabinet in order to move to the next phase. He said the 66 Fatah legislators would meet Monday with Arafat to discuss the latest developments regarding the cabinet.

At least 35 legislators, all Arafat loyalists, are reported to have said that they would vote against the cabinet. They are opposed to the cabinet for several reasons, first and foremost because of the pressure on Arafat by Egypt, the US, Russia, and the European Union.

Another reason is that many of the West Bank legislators are opposed to the appointment of Muhammad Dahlan, the former commander of the Preventive Security Service in the Gaza Strip, as minister for security affairs. They say there is no reason why Dahlan, a resident of Gaza City, should be in charge of security in the West Bank.

In addition, some legislators have said they would vote against the cabinet because it apparently includes incumbent ministers who have been involved in corruption and misuse of public funds.

Legislator Nabil Amr, tapped by Abbas to serve as information minister, said what is important now is "to resist Israel's attempts to impose its strategy on the new cabinet and the Palestinian people."

"This is an issue that no Palestinian could accept and it's also irrational," he said referring to Israel's demand that Abbas's cabinet should place the war on terrorism at the top of its agenda.

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on or off this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

[Servant of the Nine]

Either Arrafatty steps aside and allows the formation of a government that genuinly wants peace, or we can meet the Israeli army in Damascus and decide what we are going to do pacify the whole of Arabia while we are in the neighborhood.

So9

[Happy2BMe]

These people are one step above animals - they are incapable of living in PEACE - even with EACH OTHER!

HAMAS AND PALESTINIANS

09/11/01Palestinians Dance In The Streets, Hand Out Candy To Their Children, And Rejoice Over the WTC Attacks

Muslims celebrating on Sept 11,2001, when they heard the news of the WTC collapsing.

Palestinians Celebrate Islamic Attacks on WTC

Palestinian children in eastern Jerusalem celebrating news of the terror attacks in the United States.

Palestinians Party on 9/11

<

Claim That Media Used Fake Images Proven FALSE

[Valin]

It would appear that all is not sweetness and light in the PA.
Arafat not wanting to give up any power, I'm just shocked!

[American in Israel]

I read this hoping that some Palestinians had come to the front to argue against Abbas and his terrorist ties to create a real cabinet. Instead I find that the Fatah are pissed that A "Moderate" like Fatah might have a place.

I guess it was silly to hope that Terrorists would vote themselves out of office. (what the heck are the "diplomats" thinking?!)

[monkeyshine]

This is the trouble. Abbas cannot be a reformer. He cannot come out and say that his goal is to make peace with Israel. If he does that, he will be booted out of office at best, or killed at worst. The road map will go nowhere without a civil war among the Palestinians.

[monkeyshine]

They're already complaining that Abbas is doing Israel's bidding and that he is a tool of the Americans and Egyptians. They seek to undermine any reformation of their leadership, and do so in ways that incites violence. Abbas is doomed unless he can command some firepower to force a moderated Palestinian government by force of arms. No way is Fatah going to give up the al-aqsa, nor will they go after Hamas or Islamic Jihad. This leaves Abbas as powerless, unless he can take power through force.

[FreeReporting]

I don't know why they don't have a proper election like everyone else. The Coalition troops in the area could make sure that the ballot was fair, and then the real leader could make his own cabinet. My guess is that Abu Mazen would sweep the board.

I am sure that most Palestinians can't wait to get back to an ordered form of life where they can go out to work in peace and safety every day, mostly in Israel. Arafat needs to stop meddling, and go and count his ill-gotten gains.

[monkeyshine]

I don't know if Mazen would win or not. Clearly he has the backing of many, and of the US, UK and Israel too. But this backing gives the extremists the excuse to undermine him, calling in a patsy, a poodle, a sell-out and, eventually, they will call him a traitor if he gives up on the 'right of return' or the acknowleges a border with a Jewish sovereign state.

The point is this. There can be no peace unless the people are united against violence. As long as Fatah keeps the Al Aqsa, as long as Hamas and Islamic Jihad have their "military wings", they are not united but each seeking a different result through different means. That cannot bring peace, but only anarchy.

Which is why what they need is a proper election, and then a proper "war on terror" from their own government. There is no way to broker a peace if the party signing the peace agreement has no desire or ability to enforce it.