Posted on 02/20/2003 3:47:30 PM PST by anotherview
Feb. 20, 2003
PLO political department head slams decision to appoint prime minister to PA
By KHALED ABU TOAMEH
The head of the PLO's political department, Farouk Kaddoumi, Thursday condemned Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat's decision to appoint a prime minister for the PA, describing the move as "ridiculous" in the absence of a Palestinian state, constitution or presidency.
Kaddoumi is the first senior Palestinian official to speak out in public against the decision to appoint a prime minister for the PA. Other officials have also criticized Arafat for succumbing to international pressure, but have refused to go public. Their argument is that the decision was taken under pressure and in the context of Arafat's endeavor to appease the Americans and the Europeans.
"It is a ridiculous idea to ask the Palestinian Authority to appoint a prime minister. What is the meaning of having a premier without a state, constitution or presidency," Kaddoumi argued. "They want us to draft a constitution while Israel, just next door, doesn't have any."
Speaking at a seminar in Abu Dhabi, Kaddoumi, who serves as the PLO's unofficial "foreign minister", said the Intifada (Palestinian popular uprising) would never stop, because once it stops that would mean the defeat of the Palestinian people.
"Without a complete withdrawal of Israel, the Intifada will never stop. Nothing works with the Israelis except fire, Kaddoumi said, referring to attempts by the PA to reach a cease-fire agreement with Israel and its call to Palestinian factions to stop attacking civilian targets.
He said after over two years of the intifada, the Palestinians now "do not care much for their lives."
Asked if he believed Israel would expel Arafat, Kaddoumi said Prime Minister Ariel Sharon would not make such a move, "especially after warnings from his security advisers that this would create more trouble."
He said that expelling Arafat would not be an easy task for Israel even if the US attacked Iraq. "He [Sharon] has been told by [US President George W.] Bush to cool down with the Palestinians, so that they (Americans) could solely focus on Iraq," he said.
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