Palestinian PM Salaam Fayyad Stands Down

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad has quit after months of tension with President Mahmoud Abbas.

His departure leaves the Palestinian Authority in disarray just as the United States tries to revive peace talks with Israel.

Mr Abbas, who has been unhappy with Mr Fayyad's handling of the cash-strapped government, accepted the resignation.

He asked Mr Fayyad to stay on as caretaker until a new government is formed, according to official Palestinian news agency Wafa.

Palestinian law requires the president to appoint a new prime minister within two weeks.

Mr Fayyad, a Texas-educated former World Bank official, is credited with helping create institutions in the occupied West Bank which would be needed if the Palestinians are to gain independence from Israeli occupation.

Relations between Mr Fayyad and Mr Abbas soured further last month

He was appointed prime minister in 2007 and had offered to stand down before. But Mr Abbas has previously rejected his requests after pressure from Western donors.

Washington had been lobbying hard for the 61-year-old to stay on as prime minister. During a visit to the region last month, US President Barack Obama praised Mr Fayyad.

And in a gesture of support, US Secretary of State John Kerry held private talks with the beleaguered prime minister earlier this week.

Following his resignation, Washington hailed Mr Fayyad as a "strong partner".

Admired abroad, including in Israel, Mr Fayyad has failed to build a strong political base within the Palestinian territories, leaving him vulnerable to attacks from Mr Abbas's Fatah party and the Islamist group Hamas, which governs in Gaza.

Washington hailed Mr Fayyad, with Senator Kerry, as a "strong partner"

Mr Fayyad's problems grew last year when foreign aid started to slow.

The situation worsened at the end of the year when Washington froze funding to punish the Palestinians for gaining de-facto statehood recognition at the United Nations.

Israel also withheld tax revenues it collects on behalf of the Palestinians in November and December in response to the unilateral UN move, making it impossible for Mr Fayyad to keep up with already delayed public sector salary payments.

Last week, Fatah, for the first time, openly criticised the the Fayyad government's economic policies.

Sources close to Mr Fayyad accuse Fatah of stirring discontent, in a bid for more control over Palestinian coffers.

Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague with Mr Fayyad

The sources complain Mr Abbas did not give his prime minister enough support.

Relations between the two men soured further last month when finance minister Nabil Qassis quit, saying the government had failed to address a gaping budget deficit.

Mr Fayyad accepted the resignation, against the wishes of Mr Abbas.

Hamas has welcomed Mr Fayyad's departure. It has accused him of helping Israel maintain its partial blockade on the Gaza Strip.

"Fayyad leaves the government after he drowned our people in debts," Hamas spokesman, Sami Abu Zuhri, said.

Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang

Palestinian PM Salaam Fayyad Stands Down

Dengan url

http://congormangap.blogspot.com/2013/04/palestinian-pm-salaam-fayyad-stands-down.html

Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya

Palestinian PM Salaam Fayyad Stands Down

namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link

Palestinian PM Salaam Fayyad Stands Down

sebagai sumbernya