Palestinian leaders hold emergency meetings to absorb Arafat fallout

RAMALLAH – Emergency sessions of the Palestinian parliament and national security council were being held yesterday to absorb the shockwaves triggered by Yasser Arafat’s departure from the West Bank.

Amid speculation that the Palestinian leadership could fall into chaos should the veteran leader not recover from a serious blood disease, officials have sought to present a united and firm business-as-usual picture to the world. Foreign minister Nabil Shaath told journalists ahead of the security council meeting that the body was determined to streamline the myriad security apparatus – which Arafat had been under consistent pressure to reform.While the 75-year-old iconic leader had given assurances that he would cut down the number of services, he never turned his words into action.”Its aim is to ensure the security agencies, or organisations will be revamped and given all the support (they need) to fulfill their duties,” Shaath said of the meeting.”Whether during the presence of Mr Arafat or his absence, security has to be maintained.These are his instructions and the assistant chairman of the NSC, which is the prime minister, will lead the meeting.”Prime minister Ahmed Qorei was to chair the security council meeting, grouping together the maze of Palestinian security services.His predecessor Mahmud Abbas was also to head a meeting yesterday of Arafat’s Fatah faction.Abbas has become acting Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) chairman since Arafat was dramatically air-lifted out of the West Bank for treatment in Paris, with Qorei handling day-to-day Palestinian Authority affairs.The division of duties, which effectively makes Abbas the most powerful man on the ground, is the first time in decades that there has been any degree of power-sharing in the upper echelons of the Palestinian leadership.MPs were also due to debate the implications of Arafat’s depature for treatment in an emergency session.Shaath, meanwhile, said that 75-year-old Arafat was in better spirits as doctors try to diagnose his illness.Leila Shahid, the Palestinian representative in France, said on Saturday that doctors had ruled out that Arafat was suffering from leukaemia.”His mood is cheeful, more lively, less tired and we are awaiting the final assessment by his doctors on their diagnosis,” said Shaath, adding that only Shahid and Arafat’s wife Suha are able to visit him.It is the first time in almost three years that Arafat – for 40 years the symbol of the Palestinian struggle for statehood – has left his West Bank base, a sign of the gravity of his condition.- Nampa-AFPForeign minister Nabil Shaath told journalists ahead of the security council meeting that the body was determined to streamline the myriad security apparatus – which Arafat had been under consistent pressure to reform.While the 75-year-old iconic leader had given assurances that he would cut down the number of services, he never turned his words into action.”Its aim is to ensure the security agencies, or organisations will be revamped and given all the support (they need) to fulfill their duties,” Shaath said of the meeting.”Whether during the presence of Mr Arafat or his absence, security has to be maintained.These are his instructions and the assistant chairman of the NSC, which is the prime minister, will lead the meeting.”Prime minister Ahmed Qorei was to chair the security council meeting, grouping together the maze of Palestinian security services.His predecessor Mahmud Abbas was also to head a meeting yesterday of Arafat’s Fatah faction.Abbas has become acting Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) chairman since Arafat was dramatically air-lifted out of the West Bank for treatment in Paris, with Qorei handling day-to-day Palestinian Authority affairs.The division of duties, which effectively makes Abbas the most powerful man on the ground, is the first time in decades that there has been any degree of power-sharing in the upper echelons of the Palestinian leadership.MPs were also due to debate the implications of Arafat’s depature for treatment in an emergency session.Shaath, meanwhile, said that 75-year-old Arafat was in better spirits as doctors try to diagnose his illness.Leila Shahid, the Palestinian representative in France, said on Saturday that doctors had ruled out that Arafat was suffering from leukaemia.”His mood is cheeful, more lively, less tired and we are awaiting the final assessment by his doctors on their diagnosis,” said Shaath, adding that only Shahid and Arafat’s wife Suha are able to visit him.It is the first time in almost three years that Arafat – for 40 years the symbol of the Palestinian struggle for statehood – has left his West Bank base, a sign of the gravity of his condition.- Nampa-AFP