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U.S. optimistic over Palestinian prime minister post

Bush administration lauds 'first serious step' of reform

From Suzanne Malveaux
CNN

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Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is under pressure to name a prime minister before any U.S.-led attack on Iraq is launched.

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A day after Yasser Arafat announced that he would create a position of prime minister for the Palestinian people, the Bush administration expressed optimism that the announcement is a first step toward reform.

"We hope this is a first serious step towards that critical objective," a State Department official said Saturday. "The next step is the creation of a sound constitutional, legal basis for an effective prime minister position."

In a bow to international pressure, Arafat announced Friday that he will appoint a prime minister to serve under him as head of the Palestinian Authority government.

The Palestinian Authority president has long resisted appointing a prime minister, concerned it could weaken him politically. Arafat, though, is facing mounting international pressure to make a move before any U.S.-led attack on Iraq.

Next week, members of the so-called Quartet on the Middle East -- the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia -- are expected to meet in London, England.

The Quartet is waiting until Israel's newly re-elected prime minister, Ariel Sharon, can form a coalition government before pushing the road map, which outlines a three-phase plan toward a Palestinian state that coexists peacefully with Israel. (Full story)

But the State Department official did refer to the document in his statement.

"The Quartet, both publicly and through our road map, has called for the creation of an empowered and credible prime minister to coordinate the Palestinian reform process to achieve the goal of a transparent, accountable Palestinian leadership free from association with violence and terror and capable of taking the necessary decisions to prepare the Palestinian people for statehood, including the preparation of a Constitution."

He called on the Palestinian Legislative Council to provide "the full range of authorities that a strong, empowered, independent Prime Minister would need."

The goal, he said, is "a constructive change in Palestinian governing institutions. We hope that the candidate named will have the legal, legislative, popular backing to implement the broad reforms called for by the Quartet and by many Palestinians that are essential to the implementation of President Bush's vision of a two-state solution."

Arafat's announcement was the result of a meeting with envoys from the United Nations, Russia and the European Union on Friday morning at his compound in Ramallah, West Bank.

Last Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said the objective of the coalition government he is in the process of forming would be to remove Palestinian "terrorist leadership." He stopped short of saying he would expel Arafat. (Full story)

Sharon's Likud party won the largest share of seats in the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in elections in January. The win gave him up to six weeks to form a government.


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