Fatah to select Cabinet members "in consultation with Arafat"

Jerusalem Post ^ | Sep. 15, 2003 | ASSOCIATED PRESS

[yonif]

Palestinian Prime Minister-designate Ahmed Qurei asked Arafat's ruling Fatah movement to choose candidates for up to 16 of 24 Cabinet posts, a decision that appears to grant Arafat significant control over the composition of the new Cabinet.

"Fatah institutions will choose the members of the government, in consultation with President Arafat," said legislator Hani al-Hassan.

Fatah legislators met Monday to come up with candidates for Cabinet posts.

The outgoing prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, widely known as Abu Mazen, had come under constant criticism from Fatah, in part because the party felt it was not sufficiently represented in his Cabinet.

In pressing for the appointment of a prime minister earlier this year, the United States and Israel hoped to sideline Arafat. However, Arafat has refused to relinquish any of his powers, and constant wrangling over authority contributed to Abbas' resignation earlier this month.

Qurei, known as Abu Ala, has told confidants he has no intention of challenging Arafat. It remained unclear whether Fatah would present Qurei with a pool of candidates from which he would fill 16 Cabinet posts, or whether he would simply accept a list of 16 names.

Shalom reiterated Monday that Qurei would be judged on his actions, but made it clear that he would have preferred Abbas to remain in power. Qurei "is not as good as Abu Mazen because he (Qurei) knows his power comes from Arafat," Shalom said.