Abbas Resigns As Prime Minister
NewsMax.com Wires
Saturday, Sept. 6, 2003
JERUSALEM, Sept. 6 (UPI) -- Mahmoud Abbas submitted his resignation Saturday less than four months after becoming Palestine's prime minister, his office said.
CNN reported that Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat is still considering the resignation, said Jibril Rajoub, Arafat's National Security Adviser. According to Rajoub, Palestinian officials will discuss the matter at several meetings over the next few days.
A Palestinian official told CNN earlier that Arafat had accepted the resignation offer. A statement from Arafat has not been released.
The resignation is seen as ending a power struggle between the two leaders. Abbas has threatened to resign before without doing so.
A Palestinian Legislative Council member said Abbas will give the reasons for his decision in a closed-door council session Saturday. Arafat is expected to address the council in a separate meeting.
The office of prime minister was created by Arafat after international pressure.
Copyright 2003 United Press International
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