Palestinian Authority Government of November 2003

The Palestinian Authority Government of November 2003 was a government of the Palestinian National Authority (PA) sworn in on 12 November 2003 and continued until 24 February 2005. It was headed by Ahmed Qurei, the Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority. The new 24-member Cabinet was approved by Palestinian Legislative Council on 12 November with 46 votes to 13, and 5 abstentions.

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Background

Pursuant to the Oslo Accords and the Gaza–Jericho Agreement, the Palestinian Authority had limited powers to some civil rights of the Palestinians in the West Bank Areas A and B and in the Gaza Strip, and to internal security in Area A and in Gaza.

On 6 September 2003, Mahmoud Abbas resigned as Prime Minister and President Arafat asked Ahmed Qurei to become PM of an emergency government.[1] Following a suicide bombing in Haifa on 4 October, Israel threatened to "remove" Arafat and urged him to act within 48 hours.[2]

The next day, on 5 October 2003, Arafat installed, by presidential decree, an eight-member emergency government headed by Qurei.[3][4] Arafat and Qurei disagreed as to who was to be Interior Minister in the next government. Qurei wanted General Nasser Yousef, while Arafat preferred Hakam Balawi.[5] On 4 November, the term of the emergency cabinet expired. Hours before the 30-day term expired at midnight, Arafat transformed the Cabinet into a caretaker government.[6]

Timeline

On 12 November 2003, a new 24-member government was presented to the Palestinian Legislative Council and approved with 46 votes to 13, and 5 abstentions.[5][7] Balawi was Interior Minister.

On 17 July 2004, Qurei submitted his resignation amid growing chaos in the Gaza Strip.[8] Offices of the Palestinian authority in Gaza were burned down, and gunmen briefly abducted four French aid workers, the police chief and another official, demanding reforms.[9] Arafat refused to accept Qurei's resignation.[10] Arafat and Qurei disagreed on Qurei's demand for more authority to restructure and control the Palestinian Security Services to reduce the growing turmoil. Denying the demand, Arafat decreed a state of emergency in Gaza,[9] and Qurei retracted his resignation. On 27 July, Arafat and Qurei held a press conference after reaching a settlement in a cabinet meeting.

After Arafat's death in November 2004 and Mahmoud Abbas' subsequent victory in the Palestinian presidential election in January 2005, Qurei was asked to continue in his post as caretaker prime minister and form a new government. The next government was formed on 24 February 2005, also headed by Qurei.

Members of the Government

November 2003 to February 2005 [11]

Minister Office Party
1Ahmed QureiPrime Minister/Religious AffairsFatah
2Nabil Sha'athForeign AffairsFatah
3Salam FayyadFinanceIndependent
4Hakam BalawiInteriorFatah
5Jawad TibiHealthFatah
6Maher al-MasriEconomyFatah
7Intissar al-WazirSocial AffairsFatah
8Hisham Abdel RazeqPrisoners AffairsFatah
9Na'im Abu al-HummusEducationFatah
10Zuhira KamalWoman AffairsPalestine Democratic Union
11Nahed al-RayyesJusticeFatah
12Azzam al-AhmadTelecommunications and Information TechnologyFatah
13Abdul Rahman HamadPublic WorksIndependent
14Mitri Abu EidehTourismIndependent
15Yahya YakhlofCultureFatah
16Hikmat Abu ZeidTransportationFatah
17Saeb ErekatNegotiations AffairsFatah
18Nabeel KassisPlanningFatah
19Rawhi FattuhAgricultureFatah
20Salah Ta'amariYouth and SportsFatah
21Jamal ShobakiLocal GovernanceFatah
22Jamal TarifiCivil AffairsFatah
23Ghassan KhatibLaborPalestinian People's Party
24Qadura FaresStateFatah

See also

References
  1. US Warning As Qurei Accepts PM's Role. Sky News, 10 September 2003
  2. Arafat swears in Palestinian cabinet. Guardian, 7 October 2003.
    "In response, Israeli officials threatened to hasten action to "remove" Mr Arafat and warned that a decision might depend on Palestinian action in the ensuing 48 hours."
  3. Arafat Swears In New Palestinian Cabinet. Greg Myre, The New York Times, 8 October 2003.
    "Mr. Qurei was nominated a month ago, but has been unable to assemble a full cabinet, with more than 20 ministers, to present to parliament. The emergency regulations give him a month before he has to seek a vote of confidence from the legislature."
  4. Arafat Swears in Emergency Cabinet. Megan K. Stack, Los Angeles Times, 8 October 2003.
    "But Arafat caught even the ministers off guard by declaring a state of emergency throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip after the latest bombing. Korei and his stripped-down Cabinet of eight ministers were hastily summoned."
  5. In the News-New Palestinian Government. Voice of America, 15 November 2003.
  6. Palestinian PM misses deadline for new cabinet. Agencies/China Daily, 5 November 2003
  7. New Palestinian government approved. CNN, 12 November 2003.
  8. Arafat denies he is facing crisis. BBC, 24 July 2004
  9. State Of Emergency Declared In Gaza. Sky News, 18 July 2004
  10. Arafat refuses Qorei resignation. Sapa-AFP, 18 July 2004
  11. The PA Ministerial Cabinet List November 2003 Jerusalem Media and Communications Centre. Archived on 3 December 2003
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