Arafat to reshuffle Palestinian Cabinet

Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, facing a no-confidence vote from the Palestinian Legislative Council, has agreed to a long-delayed Cabinet reshuffle.

Relations between the Palestinian government and legislature have been difficult since last year, when the PLC first called for a reshuffle over misappropriated funds amounting to 40 percent of the self-rule budget in 1996.

In August 1997, the Palestinian legislative council gave Arafat one month to dissolve his cabinet, voting 56-1 that he appoint a new team of "qualified and experienced ministers." Since then, no major changes have been made despite offers from his ministers to resign, although Arafat promised to do more to battle corruption and.

On May 30, the PLC gave Arafat a two-week window in which to take action to reform his government before it carried out a no-confidence vote.