After a week of hard political wrangling and disputes, a Palestinian Cabinet has been approved by Parliament. It is a double first, not just for Palestinians, but for much of the Arab world as well. Never before has a Palestinian leader been forced to backtrack on his initial decision and take account of the demands of elected representatives. For the first time too, a Palestinian administration has been selected on the basis of skill rather than personal loyalty. The Palestinians wanted change. They wanted a government that would deliver not only peace but also be committed to reform and deal with pressing economic and social issues. They wanted a break with the tired faces of the past. Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei has taken the all-important first step along this path. The overwhelming bulk of the new ministers are professionals in their own field, many with doctorates and masters’ degrees. There are engineers, lawyers, even a doctor.
Whether or not the 24-member government approved by Parliament succeeds in realizing any of Palestinian hopes and ambitions remains to be seen. But it has one now-proven asset to fall back on, and of immense value internationally: Palestinian political maturity. After the row over Qorei’s previous choice, political common sense rather than entrenched views won the day. The new government is the result of compromise, not just by Qorei, but by his opponents as well.
They wanted to exclude long-term Arafat allies such as chief negotiator Saeb Erekat and outgoing Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath. Erekat has gone, although he retains his post as chief negotiator, but Shaath has been made deputy prime minister, and Arafat’s nephew, Nasser Al-Kidwa, is now foreign minister. But again here, compromise shines through; a foreign minister does not concern himself with social or economic issues while the role of deputy prime minister is one that can be as powerful or as meaningless as the prime minister decides. Qorei has brought in Nasser Yousef as interior minister and Mohammed Dahlan as civil affairs minister. Their inclusion underlines the scale of the break with the Arafat era. It is the mark of how very different this new government will be. Both men stood out for reform and against corruption in the past; both were critics of Arafat; both were consequently blocked by him two years ago when Mahmoud Abbas, then prime minister, tried to bring them into government, a crisis that brought about Abbas’ own resignation at the time. Both played major roles in the 1996 clampdown on militants. They are seen as no-nonsense tough operators and their presence will give confidence to the Americans and the Israelis.
In a world where image is a major weapon in the war to win over international public opinion, the Palestinians have achieved a significant advance. No longer can the Israelis claim they are the only functioning democracy in the region. The Palestinians too have shown that they know how to operate democratically. Presumably now, with George Bush so militantly beating the drum for democracy in the world, they will have his support.
