|
Arafat To Discuss Elections, Refuses Ministers’ Resignation Threat
|
|
Arafat rejects
ministers’ resignation
|
RAMALLAH,
West Bank, May 19 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) – Palestinian
President Yasser Arafat was to meet Sunday, May 19, with an electoral
committee to discuss elections he called for last week, as Israel and
the Palestinians squabbled over the timing and conditions for reforms
and polls aimed at reviving the peace process.
Arafat,
who said a ballot could only be held after an Israel withdrawal from
all Palestinian-run zones, would meet with election officials later in
the day, chief negotiator Saeb Erakat said, reported Agence
France-Presse (AFP).
Arafat
was also to meet Jordan's Prime Minister Ali Abu Ragheb and Foreign
Minister Marwan Moasher in this West Bank town.
Jordanian
Information Minister Mohammad Adwan said the two would brief Arafat on
the results of a visit to Washington by Jordan's King Abdullah II
earlier this month.
He
said they would inform him of Jordan's efforts in coordination with
Washington and other parties "to relaunch negotiations on a final
settlement for the Palestinian territories with a precise
timetable".
The
Palestinian leadership has come under increasing pressure recently to
clean up its act, introduce more transparency amid accusations of
corruption and to bring its unyielding security structures under a
unified command to ward off attacks on Israel by extremists.
Meanwhile,
Qatari based Al Jazeera satellite channel reported Sunday, May 19,
that Arafat refused the resignation of 20 Palestinian ministers, who
declared Saturday, May 18, their willingness to resign if Arafat
decides to dissolve the Palestinian administration.
The
20 ministers from the Palestinian Authority's 30-member cabinet
submitted their position to Arafat in a written document.
The
move looked to buoy the popular call for the formation of a new
administration since Israel lifted its siege of Arafat in his West
Bank headquarters in Ramallah on May 2.
The
Palestinian legislative council, or parliament, called for the
formation of a new cabinet within 45 days in a statement released
Friday, May 17, two days after Arafat promised new elections.
But
Palestinian demands that Israeli pull back to areas it occupied before
the outbreak of the Palestinian uprising almost 20 months ago were
dismissed by Israel as an attempt to wriggle out of reforms.
A
spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Ranaan Gissin, said
if the Palestinians wanted Israel to withdraw from the territories,
they would first have to fulfill two conditions.
"Put
a stop to the terror, the violence and the incitement, and they have
to institute real reforms," he said, adding that Israel would
continue its aggressive campaign to hunt down Palestinian militants
until that happened.
Sharon
has ruled out talks until sweeping reforms are carried out, while the
United States said the promised Palestinian political changes should
have nothing to do with outside events.
But
leading Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat told the Arab satellite
news channel Al-Jazeera late Saturday that "it is not only the 20
ministers but all the members of government who have put their
resignations at the disposal of president Arafat."
He
said they asked Arafat to make his decision when he judges it
"the opportune time" and hailed it as a normal step after
Arafat's speech Wednesday announcing plans for new elections and the
reform of the Palestinian Authority.
|
