Qrei announces new Palestinian government

Palestinian prime minister Ahmad Qrei has announced the formation of his new government and said he will present it to the legislative council for approval beginning of next week. Qrei's announcement was made after his meeting with the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and briefing him on the results of his consultation and ministerial formation.

News reports said that Qrei's government will start in a mini formation of 12 ministers and then will expand within two months to include 24 ministers.

The reports said that basic problems surfaced in the last moments, such as what was discussed by several members of the Fatah movement with Arafat to that they want approval of each and every minister in the government separately and that the democratic front for the liberation of Palestine not to propose a candidate for it to acquire a ministerial post.

Among the new faces in Qrei's government is Lt. Gen. Nasser Youssef, the minister of the interior who attended the meeting of the prime minister with President Arafat.