Palestinians to create post of prime minister

THE Palestinian parliament yesterday approved the new position of prime minister as part of reforms sought by the United States, Europe and Israel to curb Yasser Arafat’s near absolute powers.

However, it appears Arafat will retain control of two key issues security and peace talks with Israel while the new prime minister will deal largely with internal affairs, including naming and supervising cabinet ministers.

The power-sharing agreement, worked out last week by the Palestinian leader and his appointee for prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, falls short of demands that a new prime minister effectively replace Arafat as the chief peace negotiator.

US President George W Bush has said the Palestinians have to choose new leaders as a precondition for statehood.

US and Israeli officials hinted at regret yesterday that Abbas, widely known as Abu Mazen, apparently will have little say in peace talks.

Abbas is a moderate and the most outspoken critic of shooting and bombing attacks on Israelis.

"Our view is the prime minister should be empowered to move forward toward peace and away from violence and terrorism, and that's what we hope the Palestinian legislative council does," said the US ambassador to Israel, Dan Kurtzer.

Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said Abbas should be given a chance to stop terror and incitement against Israel.

"The real question is if he will get the authority," Shalom said. Arafat reluctantly agreed last month to name a prime minister after balking at the idea popular among Palestinians as well for months.

His critics remain sceptical about Arafat's intentions, saying that while the appointment of a prime minister could be presented as genuine reform, they expect the Palestinian leader to resist relinquishing control.

"It would be a radical change for someone other than Arafat to be exercising broad powers," legislator Ziad Abu Amr said yesterday.

"I don't think it will be easy for this prime minister to extract power from President Arafat."

In other developments yesterday, Israeli troops withdrew from a four-square-mile area of northern Gaza they had seized last week in an attempt to stop the firing of homemade rockets at Israeli border towns. At the time, army commanders said the reoccupation was open-ended. The pullback came despite the firing of four Qassam rockets on the Israeli town of Sderot yesterday.

Arafat opened yesterday's parliament session with an hour-long, often rambling speech. He revisited familiar themes, including accusations that Israel's military strikes against Palestinian militants amount to "state terrorism", and that Israel is sabotaging peace efforts.

He also said he opposes attacks on civilians.

Afterward, legislators approved creating the prime minister position by 64-3, with four abstentions. Parliament was to later begin debating the authorities of the new job and pass necessary legislation.