March 31, 2003	Monday	Muharram 27, 1424

RAMALLAH: For pilgrims to Ramallah, the symbol of authority in the Palestinian capital was an ugly one.

Yasser Arafat’s headquarters, two drab buildings joined by a bridge amid acres of rubble and twisted metal, was formerly the seat of power for the Palestinian Authority.

But now its importance is on the wane as members of the Palestinian elite and the diplomatic corps are making another journey — to an unfinished residential district on the outskirts of Ramallah where Mahmoud Abbas, the new Palestinian Prime Minister, lives. Enthusiasts believe the creation of his new post and the dilution of Arafat’s power is a revolution. Even critics admit it is a positive development.

Abbas, better known as Abu Mazen, was appointed after the international community insisted Arafat give up some of his power. It is also the first step in the ‘road map’, the international remedy for solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. According to the map, if Palestinians carry out government reforms and cease their support for terrorism, a Palestinian state will eventually be achieved.

Since the Oslo agreements laid the foundations for a proto-Palestinian state, Arafat, the authority’s elected chairman, has enjoyed complete control of appointments and patronage. The cabinet was powerless and the Palestinian Legislative Council rarely met.

“For the first time ministers will have to answer for themselves. They will not be able to go to cabinet and stonewall, knowing they have done their real work with Arafat,” said one diplomat. Abdul Jawad Saleh, a member of the council, said he was relieved Arafat’s wings had been clipped. “The problem is the same with any dictator. If you are a minister, it does not matter how good you are at the job, so long as you are loyal to the dictator. It is the first time there is a degree of accountability in the Palestinian Authority and it may lead to full transparency.”

Many Palestinians hope Abu Mazen will provide them with honest and open government, but Israel wants to sideline Arafat completely. It accuses him of starting the second intifada and after each suicide bomb Israeli officials blame Arafat in person.

An Israeli precondition for the resumption of peace talks is a change in the Palestinian leadership, and it remains to be seen if Tel Aviv will accept the appointment of Abu Mazen as an adequate change.

Abu Mazen was a co-founder of Fatah with Arafat and is the secretary-general of the Palestinian Liberation Organization. His greatest triumph was the signing of the 1993 Oslo agreements, which he negotiated on behalf of the Palestinians.

In the next 10 days Abu Mazen is planning to name his cabinet. He is expected to ditch at least half of the cabinet appointed by Arafat in what is likely to be their first major confrontation. The grassroots of Fatah are keen to get rid of anyone associated with corruption, and these are all Arafat loyalists. Two names have emerged as likely new Ministers: Mohammed Dahlan and Jibril Rajoub, the former security chiefs of the Gaza and West Bank. Both would be useful to Abu Mazen in implementing a ceasefire and restricting the activities of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which are unlikely to agree to an end to hostilities. Both men left the cabinet after disagreements with Arafat.

Diplomatic sources say the success of Abu Mazen depends on two factors; his ability to work with Arafat and the way Israel reacts to his premiership. Dr Gil Feiler, a political scientist at Bar Ilan University in Tel Aviv, said Israelis were sceptical of Abu Mazen because of his links with Arafat. “This is far from being even a meagre revolution, but it is better than nothing. The Israelis hope that it is the beginning of movement.”

Diplomatic sources point out that changes in the Palestinian leadership will be futile unless Israel responds by improving the lives of Palestinians, allowing free movement and stopping military incursions.

Israel fears an alliance between the UK and the US State Department, which also desires a solution in the region, could restrict its room for manoeuvre. Until now Ariel Sharon, the Israeli Prime Minister, has felt that the issue of the road map could be avoided indefinitely while President Bush is in power.—Dawn/The Guardian News Service.