Egypt calls for empowering Palestinian PM over security

Egypt on Wednesday called for empowering Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei over security services.

"We have called for unifying the Palestinian security organs and for the prime minister to be given authority over those organs that is parallel to that of the chairman (Yasser Arafat) of the Palestinian National Authority," presidential spokesman Maged Abdel-Fattah told reporters.

"Egypt does not aim to isolate anybody or give anybody more authority than the other," he said, while underlining the need to enable Qurei to supervise the security apparatus.

On Saturday, Qurei submitted his resignation after an unprecedented chaos in the Gaza Strip, but Arafat refused to acceptit.

Qurei has been fighting for greater control over security services since he assumed office last autumn.

Source: Xinhua