Korei Makes Compromise on His Cabinet
Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ahmed Korei will seek parliamentary approval for a new Cabinet today, after defusing a crisis by meeting lawmakers’ demands to name more reformists and fewer loyalists of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
Officials said Korei had named more technocrats among the 24 ministers, 17 of whom were newcomers, and only one was a member of parliament.
Korei’s initial Cabinet, presented Monday, contained only four new faces. By drawing up a new list, the prime minister avoided being forced out.
Nasser Yousef and Mohammed Dahlan agreed to join the new government, officials said. The two are allies of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas who were chosen to help him reform the authority and its security services.
Korei, an Arafat appointee, managed to retain his choice of longtime Arafat ally Nabil Shaath as deputy premier and information minister. But he was forced to drop at least four other Arafat loyalists.
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