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Arafat may plan to concentrate power in his own hand
TUNIS. May 29: Yasser Arafat Is packing the Interim Palestinian governing body with his own people, suggesting that he may plan to con centrate power in former Israeli-occupied zones tn his own hands, reports AP
The Palestinian National-Authority will have legislative, executive and judicial powers in the newly autonomous Gaza Strip and West Bank town of Jericho under the PLO's autonomy agreement with Israel
A permanent elected body is to take over in the future But the 24-member interim council, headed by Arafat, could establish a solid power base for the PLO leader and give him gn edge when elec •ons are held.
k PLO officials disclosed Sat
urday that Arafat has named himself interior minister of the autonomous zones. Fourteen other prominent Palestinians, most of them his allies. have been appointed to other portfolios
By giving himself the key interior portfolio. Arafat will control the 9 OOO member Palestinian police force In Gaza and Jericho. Many of the po lice officers are veteran gueril las loyal to Arafat, and many Palestinians see this force as Arafat's private army
The interim government will, in theory, hold power only a few months until par liamentary elections are held
But even as grass-roots re sentment swells against Arafat » handling of the peace negotiations and Ms autocratic
leadership. It would be in his interest to put off the elections while he builds a power base. Balloting, therefore, may not be held for at least a year
The list of appointees disclosed Saturday includes many senior members of Arafat’s mainstream Fatah faction, the biggest component of the Palestine Liberation Organisation.
Five other people have been named to the authority but have not been assigned portfolios. The PLO chairman appears to be keeping some seats on the authority vacant as he tries to lure members of other groups to try to make the council more representative.
Key appointments include
- Ahmed Qurei a the PLO s
economic strategist who negotiated the secret accord with Israel, minister of economy and trade.
- Nabil Shaath, a Fatah ac-Uvlst who was a key negotiator In the autonomy talks, minister of planning and international cooperation.
— kitlsar al Wazir. the only woman so far given a portfolio, minister of social welfare She is the widow of Arafat's military chief and strategist. Khalil al Wazir. assassinated by Israeli commandos in Tunis In April 1988
Absent from the list of ap pointers was Hanan Ashrawl. spokeswoman for the peace delegation. Ashrawl has strongly criticized the auton omy accord and Arafat s lead ership style, and has refused
repeated requests by Arafat to sit on the national authority.
Ashrawl has established the Palestine Independent Commission for Human Rights, which will lobby for demo cratic reforms In the Palestinian entity and combat corruption. widespread within the PLO.
Arafat has had extreme difficulty finding qualified people to sit on the authority, and creating a balance between his longtime allies in the exile PLO leadership and Palestinians who endured the 27-year Israeli occupation.
He has also had to accom modate other power centers -such as Palestinian clans, pollt leal factions, and secular and religious groups.
PLO sources said Arafat dis
patched an envoy to Syria on Saturday tn a last-ditch effort to persuade hard-line Pales tinian groups based there to Join the authority despite their opposition to the accord with
The leadership of the Marx 1st Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestinian, the PLO's second largest faction, reportedly is contemplating doing that to pursue Ite oppo altion to Arafat from within.
A delegation from Hamas, an Islamic fundamentalist fac tion based in Gaza and the West Bank, was due In Tunis thia weekend after secret contacts with Arafat It has demanded five seats on the authority, but Palestinians sources said Arafat has only of fered two.