RAMALLAH,
July 23 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Palestinian
President Yasser Arafat agreed to grant Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei
full powers over security forces, according to Arafat’s spokesman.
Arafat
came under growing pressures, including from the European Union, which
wanted a Palestinian Prime Minister empowered to carry out reforms to
purge high-level corruption and stop a spiral into anarchy.
"Mr.
Arafat expressed his readiness to give (the Prime Minister) full
authority to reshuffle his Cabinet in the way that he sees fit and
give the government full... authority over the internal security
services, " Imad Fallouji, also a member of the Palestinian
legislative council, was quoted by the Associated Press as saying
Thursday, July 22.
The
revelation came as the Palestinian Parliament retreated from a strike
threat but at the same time called for more power from Arafat.
The
Palestinian parliament Thursday formed a committee of 14 lawmakers to
present Arafat with a list of demands including allowing legislature
to participate in the reform of the corruption-ridden security
services.
Arafat’s
decision also came after the parliament's secretary, Ahmed Abul Nasr,
said a committee of MPs had been formed to persuade the Palestinian
leader to act on the parliament's recommendations and agree to Qorei's
resignation.
The
Palestinian parliament overwhelmingly endorsed a report by a committee
of MPs Wednesday, July 21, which called on Arafat to accept Qorei's
resignation, as the government had presided over a collapse in
security.
While
embarrassing for Qorei, Wednesday's vote was another way for MPs to
register deep unease with Arafat's stewardship of the Palestinian
Authority, said Reuters.
Ali
Aburish, a deputy from the Al-Khalil region who is a member of
Arafat's Fatah movement, said Thursday that while Qorei's government
was both "impotent and inefficient", Arafat himself must
"bear responsibility for the deterioration in the security
situation".
Foreign
Pressures
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"The EU wanted a PM
empowered to carry out reforms," said Solana
|
Arafat’s
cessation of security powers came as the European Union's top diplomat
raised pressure on the Palestinian leader by hinting the EU would
reconsider relations with him if his Prime Minister quit in a
seemingly leadership struggle.
The
EU has been the biggest donor to the Palestinian Authority since
Palestinians won self-rule in Israeli-occupied lands in 1994 but has
grown exasperated with Arafat's resistance to reforms seen as crucial
to any future Middle East peace.
EU
foreign policy chief Javier Solana said after talks with Israel's
foreign minister the EU wanted a Palestinian Prime Minister
"empowered" to carry out reforms.
Asked
about the possible departure of Qorei, Solana told reporters: "If
that happens we will have to rethink a lot of things".
Pressed
as to whether he was referring to Arafat in his remark, he told
reporters: "That, and a lot of things." An EU official said
later Solana could also have been talking about the Palestinian
Authority in broader terms.
Gaza's
worsening chaos prompted a UN decision Thursday to remove
non-essential foreign staff from the territory.
The
Quartet of Middle East mediators - the United States, Russia, EU and
United Nations - have pressed for Palestinian reforms and Israeli
restraint in its military strikes on Palestinian areas to help revive
a "road map" peace plan.
