hallelulah - 1st teetering steps taken!

New Palestinian Cabinet Offered to Arafat
Apr 23, 12:03 PM (ET)
By IBRAHIM HAZBOUN

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) - Prime Minister-designate Mahmoud Abbas presented a new Cabinet to Yasser Arafat on Wednesday, ending a days-long standoff with the Palestinian leader over its composition and keeping a U.S.-backed peace plan on track.

The agreement was essential for keeping alive a U.S.-backed peace plan for full Palestinian statehood within three years. President Bush has said he would only present that plan after an empowered Palestinian prime minister is installed, part of U.S. efforts to sideline Arafat.

Palestinian Parliament Speaker Ahmed Qureia said he was informed by Abbas and Arafat that the new Cabinet had been formed, just hours before a midnight deadline, and the list of ministers is ready for presentation to the 88-member parliament. The list was to be announced later Wednesday.

"We were asked to call for a special session of the Palestinian legislature to vote confidence in the new government," Qureia told The Associated Press. "I will call for a session ... within a week."


Arafat had challenged several Abbas appointments, particularly that of former Gaza security official Mohammed Dahlan to a key security post. However, at the root of the conflict had been the Palestinian leader's reluctance to share power with Abbas, who has the backing of international Mideast mediators, including the United States.

The compromise apparently was brokered with the help of Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, who pressed Abbas and Arafat toward a compromise in a series of meetings earlier Wednesday.

Arafat announced an end to the standoff at his headquarters Wednesday afternoon, sitting at the Cabinet table flanked by Suleiman and Abbas. The Palestinian leader, known for his theatrical gestures, held hands with the two men as he declared the argument put to rest.

Dahlan, who will serve as state minister for security affairs as originally envisioned by Abbas, sat several seats down from Arafat at the Cabinet table.

An Egyptian official, said on condition of anonymity that Arafat, in exchange for backing down, was given guarantees regarding his personal safety and was told his personal isolation would end. Israel has enforced a travel ban on Arafat since December 2001, and Israeli Cabinet ministers have called for his expulsion.

Israeli officials were not available for comment because of the Jewish Passover holiday.

Arafat also was promised that he would be consulted on major security issues and he would remain in charge of talks with Israel, the Egyptian official said.

Palestinian Planning Minister Nabil Shaath confirmed a few names on the list, saying Abbas would double as interior minister, thus overseeing any future crackdown on Palestinian militants. Shaath said he would serve as foreign minister.

At the White House, press secretary Ari Fleischer said he had not seen reports of the standoff ending but said the administration would welcome formal notification.

By law, Abbas has the sole authority to form the Cabinet, but in practice needs Arafat's blessing. The Cabinet requires the approval of parliament, where the ruling Fatah party, which sided with Arafat in this showdown, commands a solid majority. It remained unclear whether Abbas' Cabinet would win approval.

Abbas has lost valuable support in Fatah by appointing several politicians tainted by corruption to his Cabinet and by not bringing in new faces.

International mediators have been watched the standoff closely and exerted intense pressure on Arafat.

In the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, Arafat received phone calls from Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak, the Qatari foreign minister, the Arab League secretary-general and the Greek foreign minister, a senior Palestinian official said.

Mubarak called twice and dispatched Suleiman to the West Bank.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said Tuesday it was up to the Palestinians to choose their leader. However, Abbas should be free to select his Cabinet, Boucher said.

"You don't have an empowered prime minister, you don't have a leadership that's capable of establishing the institutions of a state unless the leaders get to choose the members of their Cabinet," Boucher said.