Palestinian PM promises cabinet overhaul

Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia promised a drastic overhaul of his cabinet today, after his original lineup stacked with political old-timers prompted an angry outcry.

It raised the possibility he could be toppled in a no-confidence vote.

Such sweeping change could signal the beginning of long-promised government reform and would mark a first for the Palestinian Authority since its establishment in 1994.

Until now, cabinet ministers were largely chosen from a small circle of cronies of the late Yasser Arafat, often regardless of expertise.

Qureia told MPs in the West Bank town of Ramallah he would present a cabinet of technocrats to parliament for approval on Wednesday.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, whose relations with Qureia have been increasingly cool in recent weeks, appeared to be largely untouched by the political turmoil. Abbas could simply appoint a new prime minister if Qureia fails to win approval for his cabinet.

The crisis began yesterday when Qureia presented a 24 member Cabinet to parliament, with only four new faces in the team. In a stormy parliament session, 23 of 27 speakers said they would not support the cabinet, demanding the sacking of several corruption-tainted ministers.

When it became increasingly apparent that the Cabinet would not be approved, the vote was delayed until today.