OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, 12 September — In a rare internal challenge to Yasser Arafat’s leadership of the Palestinian Authority, his entire Cabinet was forced to resign yesterday rather than face a vote of no confidence.
In the stultified world of Palestinian politics, where Arafat’s word has long been law, this was the most serious blow to his authority since his triumphant return from exile in 1994.
But that does not mean the Palestinians are about to do President George Bush’s bidding and dispense with Arafat. In a gamble to avoid the confidence vote yesterday — a gamble which did not pay off — Arafat set Jan. 20 as the date for elections, both parliamentary, and to his own presidential post. That is still an election he almost certain to win. He still enjoys overwhelming support from Palestinians.
But, although Arafat’s position at the head of the Palestinian Authority is not — not yet at least — under serious internal challenge, the extent of his powers is. On the face of it, the question on which the Palestinian Legislative Council — the Palestinian Parliament — was threatening to bring its no-confidence motion yesterday seems a mere legal quibble: that Arafat had broken the law by appointing too many Cabinet members.
But what was really happening was that the Palestinian Parliament was asserting its authority.
Until yesterday, the Legislative Council had largely been but a rubber stamp for Arafat’s rule. Yesterday it moved a small step toward being something more.
Arafat had hoped to forestall a no-confidence vote by setting the election day for January, but one after another, 51 members of the Legislative Council stood up to condemn the Cabinet as illegal. Facing such censure, the Cabinet chose to resign.
"Our aim was to topple the government, and the government now is toppled," Jamal Al-Shobaki, a lawmaker from Arafat’s own Fatah faction who is nevertheless critical of the Cabinet, told reporters.
Arafat joked to Legislative Council members yesterday about talk of appointing a prime minister to take day-to-day affairs out of his hands, suggesting ironically he would enjoy the rest. But it is an idea that is being talked about, not least because of President Bush’s refusal to deal with Arafat.
The Palestinian leader’s discomfort will not bother the Americans and the Israelis, but the decision to hold elections as soon as January may. Bush has been pushing for a delay, hoping that will provide a greater chance of getting rid of Arafat altogether. (The Independent)
