Qurie gives Arafat ultimatum over power

The Palestinian prime minister told Yasser Arafat on Tuesday he's determined to quit unless the Palestinian leader yields more power to the Cabinet, leaving the government embroiled in crisis.

The confrontation between the Palestinian leader and Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie centers on whether Arafat is willing to cede any of his absolute authority. Israel considers Arafat's stranglehold on Palestinian affairs as an obstacle to Mideast peace.

At the end of an emergency meeting in Arafat's ruined West Bank headquarters, the two men deadlocked over who would have ultimate control over the security services and whether Qurie would stay in his job.

"President Arafat insisted in rejecting the resignation. Abu Ala insists on his resignation. The crisis goes on," Saeb Erekat, a senior Cabinet minister, told The Associated Press, using Qurie's common name.

Other ministers said Qurie ended the meeting by telling Arafat, "my resignation stands. I consider my government a caretaker government."

The crisis has been brewing since late last week, when Qurie submitted his resignation in frustration over the breakdown of authority in Gaza and discontent over the disorder in the security services.

If he resigns and the government falls after less than a year in office, it would be a setback for Arafat, who wants to show some movement toward establishing democratic institutions in the Palestinian territories.

Source: Agencies