GAZA CITY, May 29: Yasser Arafat has finally signed the Palestinian Basic Law, five years after his parliament adopted the de facto constitution defining his leadership powers, a senior legal official said Wednesday.

Arafat signed the law into effect late Tuesday, the head of the Palestinian Legal Committee, Abdul Karim Abu Salah, said.

The Basic Law, the constitution defining the powers of Arafat’s executive authority and the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), or parliament, was passed almost unanimously in October 1997.

Arafat never signed the law, although he was required to approve it within two weeks of its adoption.

But the Palestinian leader, who has promised to reform his administration, undermined by 20 months of violence and charges of corruption and incompetence, suddenly signed the law unannounced.

“This law is considered the defining law of the Palestinian Authority for the transitional period and this law is the reference constitutional law ... for all institutions of the Palestinian Authority,” Abu Salah said.—AFP