On 6 September 2003, Mahmoud Abbas resigned as Prime Minister and President Arafat asked Ahmed Qurei to become PM of an emergency government.[1] Following a suicide bombing in Haifa on 4 October, Israel threatened to "remove" Arafat and urged him to act within 48 hours.[2]
The next day, on 5 October 2003, Arafat installed, by presidential decree, an eight-member emergency government headed by Qurei.[3][4] Arafat and Qurei disagreed as to who was to be Interior Minister in the next government. Qurei wanted General Nasser Yousef, while Arafat preferred Hakam Balawi.[5] On 4 November, the term of the emergency cabinet expired. Hours before the 30-day term expired at midnight, Arafat transformed the Cabinet into a caretaker government.[6]
Timeline
On 12 November 2003, a new 24-member government was presented to the Palestinian Legislative Council and approved with 46 votes to 13, and 5 abstentions.[5][7] Balawi was Interior Minister.
On 17 July 2004, Qurei submitted his resignation amid growing chaos in the Gaza Strip.[8] Offices of the Palestinian authority in Gaza were burned down, and gunmen briefly abducted four French aid workers, the police chief and another official, demanding reforms.[9] Arafat refused to accept Qurei's resignation.[10] Arafat and Qurei disagreed on Qurei's demand for more authority to restructure and control the Palestinian Security Services to reduce the growing turmoil. Denying the demand, Arafat decreed a state of emergency in Gaza,[9] and Qurei retracted his resignation. On 27 July, Arafat and Qurei held a press conference after reaching a settlement in a cabinet meeting.
^Arafat swears in Palestinian cabinet. Guardian, 7 October 2003. "In response, Israeli officials threatened to hasten action to "remove" Mr Arafat and warned that a decision might depend on Palestinian action in the ensuing 48 hours."
^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."
^Arafat Swears in Emergency Cabinet. Megan K. Stack, Los Angeles Times, 8 October 2003. "But Arafat caught even the ministers off guard by declaring a state of emergency throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip after the latest bombing. Korei and his stripped-down Cabinet of eight ministers were hastily summoned."
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