Palestinians bid to break deadlock in cabinet position row

PALESTINIAN mediators yesterday stepped up efforts to break a deadlock between prime minister-designate Mahmoud Abbas and President Yasser Arafat over security powers in a new government.

Failure by the two leaders to form a cabinet a self-imposed deadline expires tomorrow would delay presentation by the United States of a long-awaited "road map" towards Israeli-Palestinian peace.

Mr Abbas, better known as Abu Mazen, wants former Gaza security chief Mohammed Dahlan to become interior minister in charge of Palestinian security forces, which would be called on to crack down on militants under the US-backed peace blueprint.