Palestinian prime minister dissolves Cabinet

The Palestinian prime minister has dissolved his Cabinet – in a new gesture which appears to be inspired by unrest rocking the Arab world.

President Mahmoud Abbas announced today that he had accepted the decision by his prime minister, Salam Fayyad.

An aide to Mr Fayyad said his boss hoped to form a new Cabinet dominated by technocrats who can build up Palestinian institutions. He has up to six weeks to name the Cabinet.

The decision is the latest in a series of dramatic moves by the Western-backed Palestinian Authority following the unrest in Egypt and Tunisia.

Mass protests have spurred calls for democracy throughout the Middle East.

The Palestinian government said over the weekend that it would hold long-overdue general elections later this year.