Violence flares as Arafat gives job to cousin

GUNMEN burned down the offices of Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Authority in Gaza yesterday, as anger spread over the Palestinian leader's overhaul of his security forces that many saw as falling short of genuine reform.

In the West Bank city of Ramallah, Mr Arafat met his prime minister, Ahmed Qureia, about the political crisis that erupted over the continuing violence in Gaza and Mr Qureia's attempt to resign as head of the Palestinian government.

"I totally reject your resignation and consider it nonexistent," Mr Arafat told Mr Qureia at a meeting yesterday, according to Cabinet minister Saeb Erekat.

Mr Qureia told his Cabinet on Saturday he was firm in his decision to quit.

Dozens of militants belonging to an extreme offshoot of Mr Arafat's Fatah movement stormed an office building in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis shortly after midnight to protest against Mr Arafat's appointment of his cousin, Moussa Arafat, as chief of security.

One security guard was wounded in a gunbattle with the militants, who seized control of the building, stole weapons, and set fire to two offices and several cars parked nearby, witnesses and officials said.

Moussa Arafat's appointment was part of Yasser Arafat's reforms to his security forces, as demanded in the "road map" peace plan sponsored by the United States and supported by Egypt. However, members of Arafat's own Fatah movement were furious, saying Moussa Arafat symbolises the corruption and cronyism of the Palestinian Authority.

Dissatisfaction with Mr Arafat's reforms spread throughout the Palestinian territories, though violence was confined to the Gaza Strip.

"Arafat now is at a crossroads. Either he makes a revolution inside his authority or the Palestinian people will make a revolution against him," said Ahmed Jamous, a student at Ramallah's Bir Zeit University. "The people want elections and good government, not to be ruled by a group of corrupt thieves," he added.

In Gaza late on Saturday, an estimated 2,000 protesters - many of them armed - marched to the Palestinian Legislative Council building. Referring to Mr Arafat, they chanted: "listen, listen Abu Amr, we don't agree with your decisions and we don't agree with the appointments." "There is a consensus in the Palestinian nation and not just in Gaza that what is happening now can't continue," Soufian Abu Zaida, a Fatah leader in Gaza told Israel Radio. "The new thing is ... that people won't accept what had been accepted until now."

Mr Qureia updated Mr Arafat on Saturday's stormy Cabinet session, in which ministers raged over the reforms and demanded the prime minister and his Cabinet be given more authority, said Cabinet ministers on condition of anonymity. The Cabinet will meet again today. Mr Qureia, who has been in the post for 10 months, has been unable to carry out deep reforms in the Palestinian Authority to root out corruption because Mr Arafat retained the presidency and has balked at all attempts to relinquish authority.

The Gaza turmoil came against the background of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to withdraw from Gaza next year, intensifying a struggle for power and influence among the various Palestinian factions.