Arafat under pressure to reshuffle cabinet

Deputies have been demanding for the past year that Arafat name a new cabinet to replace ministers accused of mismanagement and corruption over the past two years.

Sixteen of the 18 current cabinet members submitted their resignations a year ago in response to the council’s criticism, but Arafat did not act on the move.

The council has set several deadlines for a cabinet change, but let them lapse at Arafat’s request, most recently on July 25 when the Palestinian authority president was abroad.

Deputies demanded however that the new cabinet list be submitted before the council goes on summer recess on Saturday.

Nodetails of the planned cabinet changes were revealed.

A senior Palestinian authority official in Gaza said on Monday that Arafat would only announce a limited reshuffle and would not submit a new government programme as demanded by many council members.

The reshuffle was expected to see the departure of four to seven ministers responsible for public services of the Palestinian Authority — the interim body created by the Oslo peace accords to administer autonomy areas of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

No senior members of the cabinet were expected to be replaced.