MIDDLE EAST: The new Palestinian cabinet approved yesterday has swept aside the Arafat old guard, writes Michael Jansen
The Palestinian cabinet, approved yesterday by the Palestinian Legislative Council, was confirmed only after the Prime Minister, Mr Ahmad Korei, agreed to drop ministers from Mr Yasser Arafat's old guard and induct 17 fresh faces.
Legislators hailed their victory as a triumph for parliamentary democracy.
Dr Ghassan Khatib, who was retained as planning minister, told The Irish Times that the new government's programme focuses on reform, security and preparations for the July 17th parliamentary elections, the first since 1996. "This is a more capable government compared with the previous political government. Ministers are younger, more educated, more professional. But since they do not have the former team's political backing, they will be held accountable for their performance during their brief five months in office," he said.
Late on Wednesday the Palestinian president, Mr Mahmoud Abbas, was compelled to intervene after Fatah's majority parliamentary faction refused to endorse Mr Korei's second line-up. On Tuesday, legislators vetoed his attempt to add four technocrats to a reshuffled cabinet made up of old guard stalwarts. Both independent and Fatah lawmakers called on Mr Abbas to fire Mr Korei and name a new premier.
Some argued that since he is accused of corruption he could not be expected to reform the mismanaged administration. Mr Korei, whose family contracting firm is being investigated for selling cheap Egyptian cement to Israel for construction of the West Bank wall, is deeply unpopular.
But Mr Abbas was not prepared to create a rift with the old guard by dismissing Mr Korei. Dr Mahdi Abdel Hadi, the head of the Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs, said Mr Abbas "has no popular base so he cannot behave like Arafat", who could do as he liked.
Nevertheless, Dr Abdel Hadi asserted confidently, "this will be Korei's last cabinet", suggesting that he is unlikely to be offered the premiership after a new legislature is installed. In Dr Abdel Hadi's view, the crisis revealed that the traditional Fatah leadership has lost its grip on the movement's members, particularly those from the younger generation, who are impatient with the old guard's refusal to accept change.
Fatah lawmakers made the point that a cabinet filled with the usual faces could have cost Fatah dearly in the coming electoral contest. The success enjoyed by Islamist Hamas candidates in recent municipal polls is considered a protest vote against Fatah.
Mr Korei kept on the finance minister, Mr Salam Fayad, who introduced transparency and accountability to the Palestinian Authority's finances.
The premier appointed former Gaza police chief, Gen Nasser Yusif, minister of interior, and former Gaza security head, Mr Muhammad Dahlan, civil affairs minister. Mr Fayad, a former World Bank official, must obtain funds to support the budget as well as for development. Gen Yusif is charged with consolidating and reforming the security services and cracking down on militant groups.
Mr Dahlan's job is to regulate the issuing of permits and licenses, one of the main areas of corruption. Mr Korei also named Mr Nasser al-Kidwa, former Palestinian representative to the UN, as foreign minister.
He will have to press the international community to ensure an early resumption of negotiations on the "road map" plan for the creation of a Palestinian state.
Unless there are talks with Israel which go beyond confidence-building measures and offer the Palestinians a political horizon, militants, currently observing a ceasefire, could resume attacks on Israel.
Mr Korei resisted pressure to drop the outgoing foreign minister, Dr Nabil Shaath, who was promoted to deputy prime minister and given the information portfolio. Dr Saeb Erekat remains chief negotiator although he resigned from the cabinet.
Dr Abdel Hadi observed: "Now professionals who have been criticising the government for so long have the chance to prove themselves.
"Even though they will have only a short term in office, they can make a difference by cleaning house and improving the government's infrastructure. This will be a test of their professionalism. If they fail, we will go back to Arafat's old system."
Some legislators remain unimpressed with the new cabinet. Dr Ziad Abu Amr, who represents Gaza, argued that Mr Korei "is a great liability for Fatah in the upcoming election. He has his confidence vote but there is a great deal of dissatisfaction in the Palestinian street. This is supposed to be a government of technocrats, but it has nothing to do with technocrats. Many good people have been excluded."
Dr Abu Amr, a young reformer who served as minister of culture in Mr Abbas's short-lived cabinet in 2003, helped mediate the recent ceasefire with the militants.