Arafat Shrinks His Cabinet To 21 Ministers

June 10, 2002
By Amira HassYahya: New interior minister

The Palestinian Authority officially announced its new cabinet alignment yesterday. PA Information Minister Yasser Abed-Rabbo, speaking at a press conference in Ramallah, said the cabinet has been reorganized to achieve three purposes: government reform and enhanced accountability of public institutions, the re-building of PA institutions in response to the destruction wrought by Israel's army, and the reduction of PA government expenditures.

Abed-Rabbo said the cabinet is an interim body whose task is to set the stage for early 2003 elections to choose a new legislative council and president.

Although five new ministers were named, 12 ministers were fired and seven were reshuffled, senior Fatah members argued yesterday that the new cabinet alignment does not portend a major change in the Palestinian government's structure.

After yesterday's moves, the number of ministers was reduced from 31 to 21 via both the dismissal of some ministers and the merger of some ministries. The lower number of ministries complies with a demand raised repeatedly by the Palestinian Legislative Council.

The centerpiece of yesterday's shake-up was the appointment of a new interior minister, General Abdel-Razzaq al-Yahya. He will head a streamlined security apparatus comprised of three divisions instead of the current nine security agencies.

"All Palestinian security services will come under the supervision of the Interior Ministry to prevent any overlap," Abed-Rabbo said.

Responding to yesterday's announcement, Dore Gold, an adviser to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, told Reuters: "If we see fundamental change in the behavior of the Palestinian security forces in which they intercept the attacks against Israel and not collaborate with them, we'll know that something big has occurred."

Yahya has headed Palestinian security committees in peace talks with Israel since the start of the Oslo process in 1993. He played a leading role in talks dealing with security arrangements in Hebron and a "safe passage" for Palestinians between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Yahya was born in 1929 in Tantura, near Haifa. He has served as military adviser to the PLO Executive Committee and as chief of staff of Palestinian forces.

Fatah sources said yesterday that Yahya lacks a popular base of support. It is unlikely that heads of the various PA security branches will heed his command, the sources hinted. Yahya is not expected to stand up to PA Chairman Yasser Arafat over specific issues and act independently.

In another new appointment, Salam Fayyad was named PA finance minister. Fayyad, who recently worked with an International Monetary Fund contingent in the territories, replaces Mohammed al-Nashashibi. Fayyad's appointment, according to Palestinian sources, came in response to demands raised by the United States and the Palestinian Legislative Council: American officials and council members have called for the appointment of a trained professional as finance minister who would eradicate irregular financial norms which have evolved in the PA.

As head of the IMF contingent, Fayyad worked closely with the PA Finance Ministry and helped put together a package of financial reforms, including the overturning of monopolies held by the PA.

Ignoring public criticism of a number of PA ministers, Arafat chose to retain them at their previous posts or transfer them to new portfolios. In one instance - the decision to allow Jamil al-Tarifi continue as civil affairs minister and liaison with Israel - Arafat appears to have complied with Israeli requests, while ignoring local Palestinian sentiment in favor of his dismissal.

Hamas condemned the new Palestinian cabinet yesterday, claiming the appointments were a product of U.S. intervention that would not reduce domestic corruption.
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