Arafat offers PM post to Abbas
Wednesday, 19 March 2003 11:31The Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has officially asked his PLO deputy, Mahmoud Abbas, to become prime minister. The invitation comes a day after parliament approved the creation of the post.
Mr Arafat signed the bill into law yesterday after conceding defeat to his proposed amendment proposing he would retain the power to hire or fire ministers.
The move is a key reform demanded by Israel and the US, as well as by Palestinian legislators, who accuse the current administration of corruption and mismanagement.
Secret talks between Katzav and al-Hassan
The Israeli president, Moshe Katzav, is reported to have recently met in secret with the Palestinian Interior minister, Hani al-Hassan.
According to Israeli radio, the meeting took place after the Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, gave his backing for the meeting.
During the meeting, the Palestinian minister, a senior member of Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction, said the Palestinian Authority was ready to ensure security in the towns of the West Bank, on condition that the Israeli army withdrew from the areas it had occupied since last year.
Israeli forces re-occupied the entire West Bank except for Jericho last June following persistent suicide bombings. They said Palestinian security forces had failed to stop the attacks.
Mr Sharon recently met with senior Palestinian moderate Mahmud Abbas, who is expected to take up the new post of prime minister in the coming days. However the Israeli leader has refused to meet Mr Arafat since coming to power two years ago.
