The Palestinian Authority Government of April 2003 was a government of the

Palestinian National Authority The Palestinian Authority (PA), officially known as the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), is the Fatah-controlled government body that exercises partial civil control over the Palestinian enclaves in the Israeli-occupied West Bank as a c ...

(PA) from 30 April to 7 October 2003. It was headed by

Mahmoud Abbas Mahmoud Abbas (; born 15 November 1935), also known by the Kunya (Arabic), kunya Abu Mazen (, ), is a Palestinian politician who has been serving as the second president of Palestine and the President of the Palestinian National Authority, P ...

, the first PA Prime Minister, until 6 September 2003. The Prime Minister and his government were approved by the

Palestinian Legislative Council The Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) is the Unicameralism, unicameral legislature of the Palestinian National Authority, Palestinian Authority, elected by the Palestinians, Palestinian residents of the Palestinian territories of the Wes ...

on 29 April and were sworn in on 30 April. Abbas resigned as Prime Minister on 6 September 2003 because of a struggle for power with President

Yasser Arafat Yasser Arafat (4 or 24 August 1929 – 11 November 2004), also popularly known by his Kunya (Arabic), kunya Abu Ammar, was a Palestinian political leader. He was chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) from 1969 to 2004, Presid ...

and the stagnated implementation of the

road map for peace The roadmap for peace or road map for peace ( ''Mapa had'rakhim'', ''Khāriṭa ṭarīq as-salāmu'') was a plan to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict proposed by the Quartet on the Middle East. The principles of the plan, originally ...

. After the discharge of the Government in September 2003, Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council

Ahmed Qurei Ahmed Ali Mohammad Qurei (also spelled Qureia or Qurie; , ; 26 March 1937 – 22 February 2023), also known by his '' kunya'' Abu Alaa ( ), was a Palestinian politician who served as the second prime minister of the Palestinian National Authori ...

was asked to become Prime Minister of an emergency government,''US Warning As Qurei Accepts PM's Role''
Sky News, 10 September 2003 but Arafat, on 5 October, appointed Qurei PM of a small emergency cabinet before a government could be presented to Parliament. Qurei and his cabinet were sworn in on 7 October 2003.''Arafat Swears In New Palestinian Cabinet''
Greg Myre, The New York Times, 8 October 2003.
"Mr. Qurei was nominated a month ago, but has been unable to assemble a full cabinet, with more than 20 ministers, to present to parliament. The emergency regulations give him a month before he has to seek a vote of confidence from the legislature."Tom Lansford
''Political Handbook of the World 2014''
p. 1631 (last para but one). CQ Press, March 2014.

History

Formerly, the government was chosen and appointed by PA President Arafat, and Arafat also presided the "Council of Ministers". Under strong pressure of the international community and Israel, Arafat, held hostage in his largely destroyed headquarters in Ramallah besieged by the Israeli army since September 2002, changed the political system. On 18 March 2003, he signed the ''2003 Amended Basic Law'',''2003 Amended Basic Law''
18 March 2003 which transformed the political system into a semi-presidential one. The Prime Minister became responsible for the composition of the Cabinet and became the Chairman of the "Council of Ministers". On 19 March, Mahmoud Abbas accepted the post of

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

. Arafat accepted Abbas' new government on 24 April,''Arafat accepts a new government''
The Telegraph, 24 April 2003 and on 29 April Abbas and his Cabinet were approved by the Parliament.
MidEastweb, 29 April 2003 The change came after strong pressure by the

Middle East Quartet The Quartet on the Middle East or Middle East Quartet, sometimes called the Diplomatic Quartet or Madrid Quartet or simply the Quartet, is a foursome of nations and international and Supranational union, supranational entities involved in me ...

, who wanted to push its Roadmap for peace and supported Abbas. The day after the inauguration of the Government, on 30 April 2003, the Quartet published its Roadmap for peace. The Abbas Government was not long-lived. Abbas already resigned as Prime Minister on 6 September 2003, because of a struggle for power with Yasser Arafat and the stagnated implementation of the Road map for Peace by Israel.''Resignation of Abbas Raises Dilemma''
Xinhua News Agency, 8 September 2003
AP, 7 September 2003

Members of the Government

1. Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen): Prime Minister and Interior Minister -

Fatah Fatah ( ; ), formally the Palestinian National Liberation Movement (), is a Palestinian nationalist and Arab socialist political party. It is the largest faction of the confederated multi-party Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and ...

2. Yasser Abed Rabbo: Minister of Cabinet Affairs - IDAformer DFLP 3. Muhammad Dahlan: Minister of State for Security Affairs -

4.Saeb Erekat: Minister of State for Negotiations Affairs -

5. Nabil Shaath: Foreign Affairs -

6. Salam Fayyad: Finance - echnocrat - Independent 7. Abdul Karim Abu Salah: Justice -

/ ndependent 8. Maher al Masri: Economy, Trade & Rations -

9. Nabil Kassis: Planning - ndependent 10.Nabil Amr: Information -

11. Rafiq al Natsheh: Agriculture -

12. Kamal Sharafi: Health - ormer PFLP 13. Naim Abu Al Hummus: Education -

14. Mitri Abu 'Aita: Tourism & Antiquities - ndependent 15. Ghassan Khatib: Labor - alestinian People's Party, PPP 16. Azam al-Shawa: Energy & Natural Resources 17. Jamal Shobaki: Local Governance -

18. Ziad Abu Amr: Culture - ndependent 19. Hamdan Ashou: Housing and Public Works -

20. Azzam al-Ahmad: Telecommunication and Information Technology -

21. Saedi al-Krunz: Transportation -

22. Intisar al Wazir (Um Jihad): Social Affairs -

23. Hisham Abdul Razeq: Prisoners' Affairs -

24. Abdul Fatah Hamayel: Minister of State without portfolio -

Vacant Ministries: 1. Islamic Waqf (Trust) 2. Sports and Youths 3. Jerusalem ''The PA Ministerial Cabinet List April 2003 - October 2003''
Jerusalem Media and Communications Centre. Archived on 15 December 2003

References

External links

{{Palestinian governments

Abbas Abbas may refer to: People * Abbas (name), list of people with the name, including: **Abbas ibn Ali (645–680), popularly known as ''Hazrat-e-Abbas'', the son of Ali ibn Abi Talib (the first imam in Shia Islam) **Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (567 ...

2003 establishments in Palestine 2003 disestablishments in Palestine Cabinets established in 2003 Cabinets disestablished in 2003

History

Members of the Government

See also

References

External links