-Caveat Lector- On 18 Mar 2003 at 13:04, Hunt, Robert wrote:
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/18/international/middleeast/18PALE.html ?t h Palestinian Politicians Snub Arafat in Heated Debate By JAMES BENNET RAMALLAH, West Bank, March 17 - The Palestinian parliament collided today with the Palestinian leader, Yasir Arafat, narrowly rejecting a measure sought by Mr. Arafat that would have limited the authority of a new prime minister. The measure, which legislators said would have compelled the prime minister to seek Mr. Arafat's approval for every ministerial appointment, had majority backing but failed to gain the necessary two-thirds support. A small band of reformers and critics of the Palestinian leader stubbornly held out through hours of debate and two votes as loyalists of Mr. Arafat alternately shouted and cajoled, warning darkly of a coup or collaboration with American and Israeli plans to undermine the Palestinian leader. The debate reflected the new political dynamism among Palestinians, as well as the strangeness of the convergence of interests - of tough young Palestinian leaders, of the Bush administration and of the Israeli government - that has forced the creation of the post of Palestinian prime minister. "This is not our position here, to come and take the responsibilities of Yasir Arafat," said Jamil Tarifi, a close ally of Mr. Arafat, the president of the governing Palestinian Authority. "We don't want to create a political problem between us and the president." But younger members of Mr. Arafat's Fatah movement, and others who have chafed at his political control, insisted on preserving the prime minister's authority as first outlined by the parliament a week ago. "It's an attempt to retreat," said Hassan Khraisheh, an independent parliamentarian, contending that a strong prime minister is essential to a Palestinian state. "We are looking for guarantees for a homeland, not for individuals." Conducted in an atmosphere dense with cigarette smoke and charged with caffeine, the debate was freewheeling, with politicians accusing one another of posturing for the cameras and journalists, and, in the end, votes with actual significance. Angered over what he saw as a threat to due process, the head of the legal committee offered his resignation, only to have it rejected by the speaker. The secretary of the parliament, noticing that an opponent of the measure was silently checking his vote count, stopped in mid-tally and refused to continue. "You should respect my counting!" he shouted, then stormed from the chamber. He was eventually talked into returning and resuming his count of raised hands. The speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Ahmed Qureia, used his powers to push the measure to restrict the prime minister, reopening the debate after it was voted down. Defeated a second time, he finally postponed until Tuesday a final vote on the underlying legislation to create the post. Both sides left calling the debate a credit to Palestinian democracy, while girding for a renewed fight on Tuesday. Under the laws of the Palestinian Authority, if the bill to create the position of prime minister passes on a third reading, it will eventually become law even if Mr. Arafat chooses not to sign it. Mr. Arafat has selected as prime minister a longtime deputy, Mahmoud Abbas. But Mr. Abbas has remained out of sight and refused to accept the job until he determines that it has sufficient power. The debate today signaled that he can count on a limited but hard core of support in the boisterous parliament. Regardless of the measure debated today, the prime minister is clearly accountable under the new legislation to Mr. Arafat, who has authority to appoint and fire him. Palestinian politicians and political scientists say Mr. Abbas' powers will be determined less by legislation than by his own success at maneuvering among Mr. Arafat, the Palestinian factions, Israel and the United States. The debate took place on a day of violence in the Gaza Strip, where Israeli forces killed 10 Palestinians, including a 3-year-old girl. It also followed the arrest by Israel early this morning of Mr. Arafat's most persistent critic in parliament, Husam Khader. Soldiers blew off the doors of Mr. Khader's home in the Balata refugee camp, in Nablus, and took him away in his pajamas, his family said. Mr. Khader, a member of the rising generation of Fatah leaders, has been a thorn in Mr. Arafat's side, accusing him of appointing corrupt, antidemocratic ministers, and hogging power. He once sarcastically introduced a bill to declare the Palestinian leader "the God of Palestine." It was a sign of the Palestinian leadership's annoyance with Mr. Khader that his arrest was barely mentioned here today. "Every day we were hearing from Arafat, `You have to shut him up,' " a senior legislative aide said. Israel accused Mr. Khader of financing and directing attacks on Israelis. In several interviews over the last year, Mr. Khader described himself as a purely political leader, saying he opposed Palestinian violence outside the West Bank and Gaza Strip. But he has said that he, like most Palestinians, supports attacks on Israelis soldiers and settlers in the Palestinian areas, regarding that as legitimate resistance. Israel considers all such violence terrorism. Mr. Khader was a supporter of the creation of an empowered prime minister, his family said. Another legislator missing today from the parliament, which has 88 members, was Marwan Barghouti, a young Fatah leader jailed by Israel for almost a year on charges of terrorism, which he denies. Even legislators who opposed the measure said they expected the prime minister to consult with the president on the appointment of ministers. But they said that, by writing the requirement into law, Mr. Arafat's allies were trying to ensure that they would retain ministries under the new prime minister. "All our hard work is to get rid of any possibility to blackmail the prime minister," said Abdul Karim Abu Salah, a Fatah member and the head of the parliament's legal committee. Despite having tendered his resignation during the debate, Mr. Abu Salah pronounced himself delighted with the proceedings. "This assures that we are the lords over ourselves," he said. "I'm proud it looked like a battle." <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http://archive.jab.org/[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http://archive.jab.org/[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
