romeo12507
04-21-2003, 02:07 PM
Mon April 21, 2003 08:18 AM ET
By Mohammed Assadi
RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Palestinian mediators stepped up efforts on Monday to break a deadlock between prime minister-designate Mahmoud Abbas and President Yasser Arafat over security powers in a new government.
Failure by the two leaders to form a cabinet -- a self-imposed deadline expires on Wednesday -- would delay presentation by the United States of a long-awaited "road map" toward Israeli-Palestinian peace.
Abbas, better known as Abu Mazen, wants former Gaza security chief Mohammed Dahlan to become interior minister in charge of Palestinian security forces that would be called upon to crack down on militants under the U.S.-backed peace blueprint.
But Arafat, who reluctantly bowed to pressure from the United States and other peace mediators to name a prime minister, has resisted Dahlan's appointment and the widely perceived bid to loosen the presidential grip on security.
Mediators, such as cabinet minister Nabil Shaath, Arafat aide Tayyeb Abdel-Rahim and two other senior officials of his Fatah faction have been shuttling between Arafat's office and Abbas carrying a bridging proposal.
Palestinian officials said it called for naming Dahlan to the cabinet, but as a minister without portfolio.
"It would include the option of Abu Mazen appointing him to the Interior Ministry post at a later date," said one official close to Arafat.
"The mediation efforts are still under way. We expect brother Abu Mazen to present the cabinet in the coming 48 hours."
There was no immediate word from Abbas, who has largely steered clear of the media since accepting the premiership on condition it came with real powers.
DEADLINE FINAL
The official close to Arafat told Reuters there would be no extension of the cabinet formation deadline, according to Palestinian law. "(Abbas) either expresses his regrets (and quits) or presents the cabinet on Wednesday," he said.
Abbas threatened to quit on Saturday over Arafat's objection to Dahlan.
The United States has made presentation of the "road map" leading to a Palestinian state by 2005 conditional on the appointment of a new Palestinian government it hopes will pursue democratic reform and root out corruption in Arafat's administration.
President Bush has called for a new Palestinian leadership "not compromised by terror" and joined Israel in refusing to deal with Arafat.
The veteran Palestinian leader has denied fomenting violence during an uprising for statehood that erupted in September 2000 after talks on a final peace accord with Israel stalled.
One Palestinian official predicted the Arafat-Abbas impasse would go down to the wire.
"All crucial decisions are taken in the last minute and eventually the two men will agree," the official said.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has said he would meet Abbas to try to push peacemaking forward once a Palestinian cabinet was formed.
But Palestinian officials close Abbas said the incoming prime minister was doomed to failure on any peace track unless Israel ceased incursions into Palestinian areas, lifted curfews and withdrew from West Bank cities.
Israeli forces reoccupied most West Bank cities after a spate of suicide bombings in Israel a year ago.
Palestinian Labour Minister Ghassan al-Khatib said the dispute between Arafat and Abbas was simply part of a democratic process.
"I don't think that there is something wrong. I think that what is going on is very much healthy and it happens in every democracy," Khatib told Reuters.
He said no matter its final composition, a new cabinet must "never compromise the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people," such as "the end of Israeli occupation in all the occupied territories, including East Jerusalem."
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=2596646
By Mohammed Assadi
RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Palestinian mediators stepped up efforts on Monday to break a deadlock between prime minister-designate Mahmoud Abbas and President Yasser Arafat over security powers in a new government.
Failure by the two leaders to form a cabinet -- a self-imposed deadline expires on Wednesday -- would delay presentation by the United States of a long-awaited "road map" toward Israeli-Palestinian peace.
Abbas, better known as Abu Mazen, wants former Gaza security chief Mohammed Dahlan to become interior minister in charge of Palestinian security forces that would be called upon to crack down on militants under the U.S.-backed peace blueprint.
But Arafat, who reluctantly bowed to pressure from the United States and other peace mediators to name a prime minister, has resisted Dahlan's appointment and the widely perceived bid to loosen the presidential grip on security.
Mediators, such as cabinet minister Nabil Shaath, Arafat aide Tayyeb Abdel-Rahim and two other senior officials of his Fatah faction have been shuttling between Arafat's office and Abbas carrying a bridging proposal.
Palestinian officials said it called for naming Dahlan to the cabinet, but as a minister without portfolio.
"It would include the option of Abu Mazen appointing him to the Interior Ministry post at a later date," said one official close to Arafat.
"The mediation efforts are still under way. We expect brother Abu Mazen to present the cabinet in the coming 48 hours."
There was no immediate word from Abbas, who has largely steered clear of the media since accepting the premiership on condition it came with real powers.
DEADLINE FINAL
The official close to Arafat told Reuters there would be no extension of the cabinet formation deadline, according to Palestinian law. "(Abbas) either expresses his regrets (and quits) or presents the cabinet on Wednesday," he said.
Abbas threatened to quit on Saturday over Arafat's objection to Dahlan.
The United States has made presentation of the "road map" leading to a Palestinian state by 2005 conditional on the appointment of a new Palestinian government it hopes will pursue democratic reform and root out corruption in Arafat's administration.
President Bush has called for a new Palestinian leadership "not compromised by terror" and joined Israel in refusing to deal with Arafat.
The veteran Palestinian leader has denied fomenting violence during an uprising for statehood that erupted in September 2000 after talks on a final peace accord with Israel stalled.
One Palestinian official predicted the Arafat-Abbas impasse would go down to the wire.
"All crucial decisions are taken in the last minute and eventually the two men will agree," the official said.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has said he would meet Abbas to try to push peacemaking forward once a Palestinian cabinet was formed.
But Palestinian officials close Abbas said the incoming prime minister was doomed to failure on any peace track unless Israel ceased incursions into Palestinian areas, lifted curfews and withdrew from West Bank cities.
Israeli forces reoccupied most West Bank cities after a spate of suicide bombings in Israel a year ago.
Palestinian Labour Minister Ghassan al-Khatib said the dispute between Arafat and Abbas was simply part of a democratic process.
"I don't think that there is something wrong. I think that what is going on is very much healthy and it happens in every democracy," Khatib told Reuters.
He said no matter its final composition, a new cabinet must "never compromise the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people," such as "the end of Israeli occupation in all the occupied territories, including East Jerusalem."
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=2596646