Palestinian Leadership Crisis Boils On
By Mohammed Assadi
RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - The Palestinian cabinet failed on Tuesday to resolve a leadership crisis as Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie agreed to stay on for now but kept a threat to quit "because he has no powers," officials said.
Qurie is frustrated over President Yasser Arafat (news - web sites)'s refusal to allow him to reform Palestinian institutions widely seen as corrupt and out of touch. International mediators regard reforms as crucial to reviving Palestinian-Israeli peace talks.
A senior Palestinian official said Qurie, who decided on Saturday to quit over unprecedented pro-reform unrest, told a crisis cabinet meeting on Tuesday he would remain in his post for now but would not formally withdraw his tendered resignation.
Palestinian Negotiations Minister Saeb Erekat said Qurie was still deadlocked with Arafat over the president's unwillingness to cede him powers to launch meaningful reforms, particularly to a murky jumble of security services ridden by cronyism.
"President Arafat insists on rejecting the resignation," Erekat told Reuters after a crisis cabinet meeting. "Abu Ala (Qurie) insists on resigning. The crisis goes on."
Another senior official said Qurie wanted out essentially because he had no powers to effect change, or even to resign.
more... http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&e=2&u=/nm/20040720/ts_nm/mideast_dc
By Mohammed Assadi
RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - The Palestinian cabinet failed on Tuesday to resolve a leadership crisis as Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie agreed to stay on for now but kept a threat to quit "because he has no powers," officials said.
Qurie is frustrated over President Yasser Arafat (news - web sites)'s refusal to allow him to reform Palestinian institutions widely seen as corrupt and out of touch. International mediators regard reforms as crucial to reviving Palestinian-Israeli peace talks.
A senior Palestinian official said Qurie, who decided on Saturday to quit over unprecedented pro-reform unrest, told a crisis cabinet meeting on Tuesday he would remain in his post for now but would not formally withdraw his tendered resignation.
Palestinian Negotiations Minister Saeb Erekat said Qurie was still deadlocked with Arafat over the president's unwillingness to cede him powers to launch meaningful reforms, particularly to a murky jumble of security services ridden by cronyism.
"President Arafat insists on rejecting the resignation," Erekat told Reuters after a crisis cabinet meeting. "Abu Ala (Qurie) insists on resigning. The crisis goes on."
Another senior official said Qurie wanted out essentially because he had no powers to effect change, or even to resign.
more... http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&e=2&u=/nm/20040720/ts_nm/mideast_dc