Report: Fayyad tenders resignation
Western governments have offered staunch support to Fayyad ever since he became prime minister in 2007, seeing him as the architect of Palestinian state-building efforts, and his departure could complicate their ties with Abbas.
Long-strained relations between the 61-year-old Fayyad and Abbas worsened last month when the prime minister accepted the resignation of his finance minister, against the wishes of the president.
Initially successful in revitalizing a sluggish Palestinian economy, Fayyad ran into trouble last year when Israel and the United States withheld vital funds to punish the Palestinians for seeking de facto statehood at the United Nations.
They said the unilateral move ran counter to previous accords and their financial penalties meant Palestinian public sector salaries went unpaid, stoking street protests.
Abbas's Fatah party accused Fayyad of failing to foresee the turmoil and the party's council issued an unprecedented rebuke last week, saying: "The policies of the current government are improvised and confused in many financial and economic issues."
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Speaking earlier on Wednesday about the rumors of a division between Fayyad and Abbas, a senior diplomat in Jerusalem said Western aid donors would be very upset to see the respected prime minister leave his post.
"Fayyad's departure would have a serious impact on relations with the international community," said the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "It is hard to overstate how important Fayyad has been."
The diplomat added that Fayyad's institution-building drive in the West Bank had been "the single best thing" that had happened in the Palestinian territories in recent years, adding that the premier was also highly trusted by Israeli leaders.I doubt that there is anything Fayyad could have down to fend off the economic disaster that resulted from the 'Palestinians' unilateral turn to the UN last fall. That was just plain stupid.
On the other hand, the western donors have brought this upon themselves by continuing to encourage Abu Mazen to move forward with unity talks with Hamas. Hamas hates Fayyad and will not agree to reconcile with Fatah so long as Fayyad is in the government. I'd be pleasantly surprised if Fayyad's resignation caused any of them to turn off the aid spigot. Abu Mazen has figured that out too.
What could go wrong?
Labels: Abu Mazen, Hamas-Fatah reconciliation, Palestinian Authority donors, Salam Fayyad
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:48 AM
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