Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat has decided to hold presidential and parliamentary elections within six months as part of a broader reform package, a senior adviser disclosed Thursday.
Ahmed Abdel Rahman told The Associated Press of Arafat's decision soon after the Palestinian parliament called for sweeping changes in the corruption-ridden Palestinian Authority, including the formation of a new Cabinet within 45 days and general elections by early 2003.
The election would be the first time Arafat would face the voters since he was overwhelmingly elected president of the Palestinian Authority in 1996.
"President Arafat has set a program for reform and changes," said Abdel Rahman, secretary general of the Palestinian Cabinet. "The core of the changes will be conducting general elections in a period that will not exceed four to six months," Abdel Rahman said, adding that Arafat has called for a meeting of the Central Elections Committee within two days.
Arafat had come under mounting pressure from the United States, Europe and Israel to carry out wide-ranging reforms of his government.
Palestinian legislators began formulating their own plan Wednesday, and voted Thursday on a reform package that included demands for presidential and parliamentary elections by early next year. Soon after, Abdel Rahman announced Arafat's own plans to hold elections.
The legislators' package demanded Arafat disband the current Cabinet and present a new, smaller one to parliament for approval in 45 days, Palestinian legislator Hanan Ashrawi said. The current Cabinet has 30 members: parliament wanted it reduced to 19. Municipal elections should be held by the end of this year, she said.
"This is the authentic, Palestinian homegrown program of reform, structural, legal, procedural, personal," said Ashrawi, in apparent reference to pressures from the United States, Europe and Israel to revamp the government.
The reform plan also calls for streamlining the Palestinian security services.
Abdel Aziz Rantisi, leader of Hamas movement, dismissed elections as cosmetic changes that would simply exchange "corrupt people for other corrupt people."
Ranaan Gissin, spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, said Israel was withholding judgment on the legislators' proposal. "This is a first step in instituting reforms, but we have to wait and see what happens on the ground. We have to see how this materializes into actual reforms," he said. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
