New Palestinian government; Arafat: we will try to halt operations against civilian
Palestine, Politics, 10/30/2002

The Palestinian President Yasser Arafat has announced that his new government in which the old cadres could maintain its posts and won the confidence of the Palestinian council will work for completing reforms and halting operations against the Israeli civilians as well as maintaining national unity and founding a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as a capital.

Arafat told journalists following voting for the Palestinian government "this is democracy. There was a liberty for every member of the legislative council to say yes or no. But all chose to be with an independent Palestine with East Jerusalem its capital." Arafat stressed the "need of continued efforts with all the Palestinians, Muslims and Christians until the foundation of the Palestinian state with Jerusalem as a capital sooner or later." Yesterday, the Palestinian legislative council in Ramullah entrusted confidence in the new government formation announced by Arafat including 18 ministers, four of them are new and one minister responsible for the file of Jerusalem.

The new government formations was supported by 56 members, and was opposed by 18 out of 79 who attended the session. Some 11 members living in Gaza took part in the special session of the council via the video after Israel prevented them from heading for Ramullah justifying its decision for "security reasons." This is, however, the fourth government to be formed by Arafat since making elections in the self rule areas in 1996. And this is the first time in which Arafat is committed to the number set by the legislative council of ministerial portfolios.

Arafat's government only included four new faces having the ministries of health, the interior, justice and the affairs of prisoners and freed Palestinians. Arafat, on the other hand, canceled the ministries of civil affairs, youths, sport and telecommunications. Most of these posts went for prominent figures at the Fatah movement in Gaza. One of the main changes in the new government was replacing the reformist interior minister Abdul Razzaq al-Yahya, who is backed by Washington, by Hani al-Hassan, who is an old official in the Fatah movement and a political advisor for President Arafat.

Zuheir al-Sorani who had before the post of the attorney general was appointed as a minister of justice. The ministry of health was assumed by Ahmad al-Sheibi, a member in the Palestinian legislative council from Fatah and a doctor from Khan Younis in Gaza.

Hisham Abdul Razzaq was appointed as a "minister for the prisoners and freed Palestinians." He is from Jabalia and an official in Fatah who spent seven years in the Israeli jails and speaks Hebrew fluently.

Samir Ghoushe was appointed as an official responsible for the file of Jerusalem.

The old cadres were able to maintain their posts like Yasser Abd Rabbu (information), Nabil Shaath ( planning and international cooperation ) and Saeb Oreikat ( the local rule).

The new government will work as a temporary government until holding the Presidential and legislative elections on January 20, 2003.

Previous Stories:
  Israeli Rabbi justifies stealing Palestinian olives: an inherited property for people of Israel   (10/26/2002)
  Rafah: One Egyptian policeman wounded in a clash with Palestinians   (10/23/2002)
  Arafat may announce his new government: 20-21 ministers, three new   (10/23/2002)
  Arafat may announce his new government: 20-21 ministers, three new   (10/23/2002)
  Quartet outlines three-phase roadmap for final settlement of Palestinian Israeli issue by 2005   (9/18/2002)
  Edward Saaed: Arafat's days are numbered   (9/12/2002)

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