GAZA, 25 February 2005 — The Palestinian Parliament yesterday approved a new-look Cabinet of mostly technocrats. Ratification of the 24-member Cabinet, including 17 newcomers, was widely seen as a victory for President Mahmoud Abbas after days of political crisis ahead of a 25-nation meeting in London next week on Palestinian reform. Members of the Cabinet were later sworn in.
At least seven Arafat loyalists on a Cabinet list first proposed by Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei were replaced by technocrats chosen for their professional skills.
“It is a Cabinet of professionals and I hope it will shoulder its responsibilities,” Qorei said after Parliament voted in the government by a margin of 54-12, with four abstentions.
On Wednesday, Abbas intervened in the dispute between Parliament and his prime minister, and persuaded legislators from his Fatah party to support a Cabinet largely consisting of ministers chosen for their expertise, not political loyalty.
The crisis strengthened Abbas and weakened Qorei, who may not survive as prime minister beyond parliamentary elections in July, after which a new Cabinet would be formed. After Yasser Arafat’s death in November, Abbas and Qorei cooperated during a transition period, but relations have cooled since then.
Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom praised the appointment of the Cabinet as a “positive step,” but said he would withhold final judgment until the government’s approach to hard-line groups becomes clear.
Virtually all the new ministers are experts in the field they are to oversee, including 10 with doctorates, a medical doctor, a lawyer, several engineers and several with master’s degrees. The technology minister, Sabri Saidam, 41, holds a doctorate in electrical engineering. The new agriculture minister, Walid Abed Rabbo, has a Ph.D. in human resource management from the United States and served in Jordan’s Agriculture Ministry before becoming a consultant in the Palestinian Agriculture Ministry.
Only two of the 24 are women, the same as in the outgoing Cabinet. One of the women is in charge of the women’s affairs ministry, the second has no portfolio.
One familiar face, Saeb Erekat, will no longer be a Cabinet minister but Abbas’ office said he would continue to serve as chief Palestinian negotiator. Several other well-known members of the previous Cabinet will remain in the government.
Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath will become deputy prime minister and information minister and Finance Minister Salam Fayyad, a US favorite for his efforts to make government finances more transparent, will remain in the post.
Nasser Al-Kidwa, the Palestinians’ UN representative and Arafat’s nephew, takes over as foreign minister. Nasser Yousef and Mohammed Dahlan, Abbas loyalists chosen to help him revamp the security services, agreed to join the new government.
— Additional input from agencies
