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Arafat installs emergency cabinet { October 5 2003 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3166494.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3166494.stm
Last Updated: Sunday, 5 October, 2003, 21:31 GMT 22:31 UK
Arafat installs emergency cabinet
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who is facing new Israeli threats to expel him following a suicide bombing, has appointed an emergency cabinet.
He has also declared a state of emergency in Palestinian areas.
The eight-member cabinet is headed by the Prime Minister-designate, Ahmed Qurei, who said the decisions were necessary for the Palestinian Authority to assert its control over a deteriorating security situation.
The BBC's Barbara Plett in Ramallah says Mr Arafat's decision, which ends lengthy consultations about the cabinet's composition, is a desperate measure to project leadership where there has been none.
The declaration comes amid calls from within Israel to carry out a threat to "remove" Mr Arafat following Saturday's suicide bomb in the Israeli town of Haifa.
Threat
A Palestinian female suicide bomber killed herself and 19 others when she detonated explosives in a restaurant packed with lunchtime diners.
We have a deterioration of the security situation and we need to assert control over security
Ahmed Qurei
The state of emergency will make little difference to ordinary Palestinians as their lives are largely controlled by the Israelis, our correspondent says.
But she says Mr Arafat may hope that by getting a government in place quickly he could ward off an Israeli strike against him.
Observers say the United States appears willing to give Mr Qurei a chance.
Israel decided in principle to "remove" Mr Arafat after 15 people were killed in twin suicide bombings in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv on 9 September.
It has not said when or how it might carry out such a threat, but acknowledges a raid on Mr Arafat's Ramallah headquarters could result in his death.
Mr Qurei said it would be a scaled-down cabinet, in office for one month. The decree bypasses the usual ratification by the legislative council.
Mr Qurei had been named to the prime ministerial post last month and had planned to present a larger cabinet to parliament for approval this week.
"We have a deterioration of the security situation and we need to assert control over security," he said.
The new cabinet is to be sworn in on Tuesday and will immediately hold its first meeting, Mr Qurei said.
The cabinet includes both allies of Mr Arafat, and members from the government of the previous Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, who resigned after a power struggle with Mr Arafat.
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