Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority

Last updated

The prime minister of the Palestinian National Authority was the position of the official head of government of the Palestinian Authority government, which operated between 2003 and January 2013, when it was officially transformed into the State of Palestine. Some still refer to the position of the prime minister of the Gaza Strip as the prime minister of the Palestinian National Authority.

Contents

The Prime Minister's Office was created in 2003 to manage day-to-day activities of the Palestinian government, which had previously been performed by Yasser Arafat. The position was created because both Israel and the United States refused to negotiate directly with Arafat. The executive structure of the government lies under the president of the Palestinian National Authority.

History

The first prime minister of the Palestinian National Authority was Mahmoud Abbas. He was nominated on 19 March 2003 by President Arafat. On 29 April, the Palestinian Legislative Council approved the appointment and his government. [1] [2] Abbas's short term was marked by a power struggle with Arafat over control of the Palestinian Security Services, with Arafat refusing to relinquish control to Abbas. The issue was critical because the Roadmap for peace plan required the Palestinian side to stop violent attacks by various Palestinian militant groups, which Arafat refused to do. Abbas resigned as Prime Minister on 6 September 2003, citing lack of support from Israel and the United States as well as "internal incitement" against his government. [3] [4]

Abbas was followed in the office by Ahmed Qurei, who as Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council became acting prime minister. Arafat nominated Qurei for the post of Prime Minister, who agreed to form an "emergency government" on 10 September. [5] [6] The next day, Qurei decided to form a full government rather than a trimmed one. [7] [8] Arafat appointed Qurei Prime Minister on 5 October 2003 by presidential decree, and Qurei's eight-member emergency government was sworn in on 9 October. The Fatah dominated PLC refused to a vote of confidence in the government. Arafat and Qurei were in a standoff over the division between them of security powers, essentially the issue of control of the Palestinian Security Services, which was the same issue that led to Abbas's resignation. Another issue was Arafat's opposition to Qurie's nomination of General Nasser Yousef as Interior Minister who would control the security forces. [9] On 4 November, as the term of the emergency government was about to expire, they agreed for Qurei to stay on on a caretaker basis. [9] On 12 November 2003, the caretaker government was replaced by Qurei's 2003 government, which was confirmed by the PLC. Hakam Balawi, described as an Arafat "loyalist", was appointed Interior Minister, with control of the security forces. After Arafat's death in November 2004 and Mahmoud Abbas' subsequent victory in the Palestinian presidential election in January 2005, which was boycotted by Hamas, Qurei was asked to continue in his post and form a new government, which took place on 24 February 2005. On 15 December 2005, Qurei resigned, and Nabil Shaath, the Deputy Prime Minister, became Acting Prime Minister. He lost the position nine days later when Qurei returned to office.

Hamas decisively won the PLC election held on 25 January 2006. Qurei resigned, but at the request of President Abbas remained as interim prime minister until 19 February 2006. Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas was nominated Prime Minister on 16 February 2006 and the new government was formally presented to Abbas on 20 February and the government led by Haniyeh was sworn in on 29 March 2006. A struggle for power between President Abbas and the new government emerged over the security services. Abbas made Fatah-affiliated Rashid Abu Shbak head of the three branches of the Palestinian Security Services, with authority to hire and fire officers in the three security branches, bypassing the authority of the Hamas Interior Minister Said Seyam. Abbas also ordered all diplomatic statements and dealings be coordinated with the Fatah-dominated Palestine Liberation Organization, and not the Hamas Foreign Minister Mahmoud Zahar. [10] [11] Haniyeh also led the Unity Government formed on 17 March 2007, which was approved by the PLC. [12] After the Hamas takeover of Gaza, the government was dismissed by President Abbas on 14 June 2007.

Abbas declared a state of emergency and on 15 June appointed an emergency caretaker government led by Salam Fayyad and suspended articles of the Basic Law to dispense with the needed PLC approval. [13] [14] [15] [16] On 13 July 2007, the state of emergency expired in accordance with the Basic Law, and President Abbas issued a new decree to continue the state of emergency. The Fayyad government continued functioning as a caretaker government. [17] On 22 July 2007, Prime Minister Fayyad presented his government for PLC approval. As the quorum requirement could not be met, as Hamas members were boycotting the PLC, the approval was given in "extraordinary" session.

Meanwhile, Haniyeh and Hamas refused to accept the dismissal, and claimed to still be the legitimate government of the Palestinian Authority. The basis of the challenge was that under the Basic Law, the president may dismiss a sitting prime minister, but may not appoint a replacement without the approval of the PLC (which was controlled by Hamas), and that until a new prime minister is properly appointed, the outgoing prime minister heads a caretaker government.

Term

The prime minister is appointed by the president of the Palestinian National Authority and not directly elected by the Palestinian Legislative Council or Palestinian voters.[ citation needed ] The president can dismiss the prime minister at any time. The Basic Law requires that a new prime minister and his government are presented to the Palestinian Legislative Council for approval or confirmation. In the event of a vacancy in the office, the Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council becomes acting prime minister. If an emergency government is formed by presidential decree, it is only valid for thirty days. [9] The president can nominate a caretaker prime minister, pending the formation of a new government. [9] Prime ministers appointed on an acting, caretaker or emergency basis do not need to obtain approval or confirmation of the PLC.

Unlike the prime minister's office in many other nations, the Palestinian prime minister is not required to be a member of the legislature while in office. Instead, the nomination is made independently by the president, taking into account the political situation at the time. Following the international sanctions against the government led by Hamas, which was designated a terrorist organisation by several countries between 2006 and 2007, Abbas instead appointed experts as prime ministers since 2007, who are considered rather independent from party interests by observers.

List of prime ministers (2003–2013)

No.PortraitName
(Birth–Death)		TermPolitical party
Took officeLeft officeDuration
1 Mahmoud Abbas May 2018.jpg Mahmoud Abbas
(born 1935)		19 March 20036 September 2003171 days Fatah
( PLO )
2 Ahmed Qurei (3x4 closer cropped).jpg Ahmed Qurei
(1937–2023)		7 October 200315 December 20052 years, 69 days Fatah
( PLO )
– Nabil Shaath (3x4 cropped).jpg Nabil Shaath
(born 1938)
Acting Prime Minister		15 December 200524 December 20059 days Fatah
( PLO )
(2) Ahmed Qurei (3x4 closer cropped).jpg Ahmed Qurei
(1937–2023)		24 December 200529 March 200695 days Fatah
( PLO )
3 Ismail Haniyeh (3x4 cropped).jpg Ismail Haniyeh
(1963–2024) [a] 		29 March 20062 June 2014 [b] 8 years, 65 days Hamas
4 Salam Fayyad (3x4 cropped).jpg Salam Fayyad
(born 1951) [c] 		15 June 20076 January 2013 [d] 5 years, 205 days Third Way

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority of the Government in the Gaza Strip.
  2. ↑ Disputed from 14 June 2007.
  3. ↑ Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority of the Government in the West Bank.
  4. ↑ Became the Prime Minister of the State of Palestine.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palestinian Authority</span> Interim government in Western Asia

The Palestinian Authority, officially known as the Palestinian National Authority or the State of Palestine, is the Fatah-controlled government body that exercises partial civil control over the Palestinian enclaves in the Israeli-occupied West Bank as a consequence of the 1993–1995 Oslo Accords. The Palestinian Authority controlled the Gaza Strip prior to the Palestinian elections of 2006 and the subsequent Gaza conflict between the Fatah and Hamas parties, when it lost control to Hamas; the PA continues to claim the Gaza Strip, although Hamas exercises de facto control. Since January 2013, following United Nations General Assembly resolution 67/19, the Palestinian Authority has used the name "State of Palestine" on official documents, without prejudice to the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) role as "representative of the Palestinian people".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mahmoud Abbas</span> President of Palestine since 2005

Mahmoud Abbas, also known by the kunya Abu Mazen, is a Palestinian politician who is the president of the State of Palestine and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). He has been the chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) since 2004, PNA president since January 2005, and State of Palestine president since May 2005. Abbas is also a member of the Fatah party and was elected chairman in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salam Fayyad</span> Palestinian politician

Salam Fayyad is a Palestinian politician and economist who served as the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority and the finance minister. He was Finance Minister from June 2002 to November 2005 and from March 2007 to May 2012. Fayyad was prime minister between June 2007 and June 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fatah–Hamas conflict</span> Palestinian factional conflict since 2006

The Fatah–Hamas conflict is an ongoing political and strategic conflict between Fatah and Hamas, the two main Palestinian political parties in the Palestinian territories, leading to the Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip in June 2007. The reconciliation process and unification of Hamas and Fatah administrations remains unfinalized and the situation is deemed a frozen conflict.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Haniyeh Government</span> Palestinian Authority unity government

The Second Haniyeh Government, also known as the Palestinian National Unity Government of March 2007, was a Palestinian Authority unity government headed by Ismail Haniyeh, the Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority that was formed on 17 March 2007 and dissolved on 14 June 2007.

Palestinian Authority Governments of June and July 2007 is a conciliation pact between Hamas and Fatah in the Palestinian Authority. This agreement convened a council (PA) of emergency cabinets led by Salam Fayyad established by the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas by presidential decree. The first Fayyad government was formed on 14 June 2007. Although widely supported by the international community, its creation is controversial as it was established under the Basic Law which requires the approval of the new government by Palestinian Legislative Council. President Abbas has enacted some articles of the Basic Law to allow cabinets to be sworn in with the approval of the PLC.

Events in the year 2007 in the Palestinian territories.

The president of the Palestinian National Authority is the highest-ranking political position in the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). From 2003 to 2013, the president appointed the prime minister of the Palestinian National Authority, who normally required approval of the Palestinian Legislative Council, and who shares executive and administrative power with the president. In 2013 that position was abolished and substituted by the Prime Minister of the State of Palestine position.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 Palestinian legislative election</span>

Legislative elections were held in the Palestinian territories on 25 January 2006 in order to elect the second Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), the legislature of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). The result was a victory for Hamas, contesting under the list name of Change and Reform, which received 44.45% of the vote and won 74 of the 132 seats, whilst the ruling Fatah received 41.43% of the vote and won 45 seats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palestinian Legislative Council</span> Unicameral legislature of the Palestinian Authority

The Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) is the unicameral legislature of the Palestinian Authority, elected by the Palestinian residents of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. It currently comprises 132 members, elected from 16 electoral districts of the Palestinian Authority. The PLC has a quorum requirement of two-thirds, and since 2006 Hamas and Hamas-affiliated members have held 74 of the 132 seats in the PLC. The PLC's activities were suspended in 2007 and remained so as of November 2023, while PLC committees continue working at a low rate and parliamentary panel discussions are still occurring.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Gaza (2007)</span> Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip from Fatah

The Battle of Gaza, also known as the Gaza civil war, was a brief civil war between Fatah and Hamas that took place in the Gaza Strip from 10 to 15 June 2007. It was a prominent event in the Fatah–Hamas conflict, centered on the struggle for power after Fatah lost the 2006 Palestinian legislative election. The battle resulted in the dissolution of the unity government and the de facto division of the Palestinian territories into two entities: the West Bank governed by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), and the Gaza Strip governed by Hamas. Hamas fighters took control of the Gaza Strip, while Fatah officials were either taken as prisoners, executed, or expelled. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights reported that at least 161 people were killed and more than 700 were wounded during the fighting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ahmed Qurei</span> 2nd Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority

Ahmed Ali Mohammad Qurei, also known by his kunyaAbu Alaa, was a Palestinian politician who served as the second prime minister of the Palestinian National Authority.

The Second and Third Fayyad Governments or the Palestinian Government of May 2009 was a Palestinian government of the Palestinian National Authority led by Salam Fayyad from 19 May 2009 to 6 June 2013. Fayyad had been Prime Minister of the First Fayyad Government of June 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fatah–Hamas reconciliation process</span> Political initiative in Palestine

A series of attempts to resolve the hostility between Fatah and Hamas have been made since their 2006–2007 conflict and the subsequent violent conflict over the Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian Authority Government of February 2005 was a government of the Palestinian National Authority (PA) which existed from 24 February 2005 to 29 March 2006. It was headed by Ahmed Qurei and composed of 24 ministers. The cabinet was dominated by technocrat professional appointees, nearly half of them with doctoral

The Palestinian Cairo Declaration was a declaration signed on 19 March 2005 by twelve Palestinian factions, including Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP). The Cairo Declaration affirmed the status of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people through the participation in it of all forces and factions according to democratic principles. The Declaration implied a reform of the PLO by the inclusion in the PLO of Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palestinian Security Services</span> Armed forces and intelligence agencies of the State of Palestine

The Palestinian Security Services (PSS) are the armed forces and intelligence agencies of the State of Palestine. They comprise twelve branches, notably the Security Forces, the civil police, the Presidential Guard and the national security forces. The President of the Palestinian National Authority is Commander-in-Chief of the Palestinian Forces.

The Palestinian Authority Government of October 2003 was an eight-member Palestinian Authority (PA) emergency government that was formed on 7 October and existed until 12 November 2003. It was headed by newly appointed Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei and established by presidential decree.

The Palestinian Authority Government of April 2003 was a government of the Palestinian National Authority (PA) from 30 April to 7 October 2003. It was headed by Mahmoud Abbas, the first PA Prime Minister, until 6 September 2003. The Prime Minister and his government were approved by the Palestinian Legislative Council on 29 April and were sworn in on 30 April.

References

  1. ↑ Arafat chooses Palestinian prime minister. CNN, 6 March 2003
  2. ↑ Inaugural Speech – Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmud Abbas. MidEastweb, 29 April 2003
  3. ↑ Profile: Mahmoud Abbas. Dan Perry, Associated Press/Guardian, 6 September 2003
  4. ↑ "Palestinian prime minister Abbas resigns". CNN. 6 September 2003
  5. ↑ US Warning As Qurei Accepts PM's Role. Sky News, 10 September 2003
  6. ↑ Tom Lansford,Political Handbook of the World 2014, p. 1631 (last para but one). CQ Press, March 2014.
  7. ↑ Excerpts: Israeli security cabinet statement. BBC, 11 September 2003
  8. ↑ Israeli Cabinet Votes to Expel Arafat, but Delays Action. PBS, 11 September 2003
  9. 1 2 3 4 Palestinian PM misses deadline for new cabinet. Agencies/China Daily, 5 November 2003
  10. ↑ Palestinians' Hamas Leader Faces Myriad of Problems. The New York Times, 6 April 2006.
    "Israel refuses to allow Hamas officials to pass between the West Bank and Gaza, in addition to other steps aimed at increasing its isolation."
  11. ↑ Hamas Ministers Resign Membership in Movement to Appease U.S., Israel. Arnon Regular, Haaretz, 7 April 2006
  12. ↑ PM Hanieh Speech before the PLC March 17, 2007. JMCC. Archived on 4 October 2009
  13. ↑ Presidential Decrees Issued on June - July 2007. JMCC, archived on 12 October 2007
  14. ↑ "Abbas Dissolves Palestinian Authority Government in Wake of Hamas-Fatah War". Fox News. 14 June 2007. Retrieved 14 June 2007.
  15. ↑ Levinson, Charles; Matthew Moore (14 June 2007). "Abbas declares state of emergency in Gaza". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 18 June 2007. Retrieved 14 June 2007.
  16. ↑ "Abbas sacks Hamas-led government". BBC News. 14 June 2007. Retrieved 14 June 2007.
  17. ↑ Platform of the 13th Government July 2007. JMCC, 22 July 2007
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.