Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat named on Saturday Mahmoud Abbas, known as Abu Mazen, as the new Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) in front of a meeting of the Palestinian Central Council which convened in Ramallah.
Arafat said in a speech he addressed before the PCC members that he is looking forward to accepting his proposal.
"Our brothers in the executive committee have agreed on the initiative of naming my brother Mahmoud Abbas prime minister of the Palestinian National Authority and we are seeking your consent," he said in his speech.
PCC chairman Salim al-Zanoun said he expected Abbas's nomination would be approved by the council during its deliberations which are scheduled to end on Sunday.
In his speech, Arafat said that Israel was taking advantage of the fact that world attention was focused on Iraq to hurt Palestinians. "Israel is the primary inciter to war on Iraq," Arafat said. He added that he and the Palestinian Authority is following the Egyptian initiative to stop attacks inside Israel. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
