President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority intends to nominate Muhammad Mustafa, an in depth financial adviser, as prime minister within the coming days, based on two Palestinian officers, a European Union diplomat and a 3rd particular person with data of the matter.
If Mr. Abbas formally appoints Mr. Mustafa, it could quantity to a rejection of worldwide efforts to encourage the octogenarian Palestinian chief to empower an unbiased prime minister who can revitalize the sclerotic authority, officers and analysts stated.
Whereas Mr. Abbas was set on appointing Mr. Mustafa, a longtime insider inside the authority’s prime ranks, he was nonetheless holding last consultations with Arab nations earlier than signing a presidential decree entrusting Mr. Mustafa with placing collectively a brand new authorities, one of many Palestinian officers and the European Union diplomat stated. They spoke on the situation of anonymity as a result of they weren’t approved to speak with the media.
Mr. Abbas may change his thoughts, and a call to nominate Mr. Mustafa will solely be last if Mr. Abbas indicators a decree. After the Palestinian Authority president appoints a primary minister, that particular person has three weeks to kind a authorities, however can take an extra two weeks, if wanted, based on Palestinian fundamental legislation.
In late February, Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh tendered the resignation of his cupboard, citing the necessity for a brand new authorities that “takes into consideration the rising actuality within the Gaza Strip.” Mr. Shtayyeh’s authorities has continued in a caretaker capability.
Hamas led a lethal assault from Gaza into Israel on Oct. 7, and Israel has answered with intense bombardment and an invasion, vowing to interrupt the group’s grip on the enclave. However these occasions have raised troublesome questions on how a postwar Gaza will likely be ruled and rebuilt.
The Palestinian Authority has restricted governing powers on the West Financial institution. It misplaced management of Gaza to Hamas in a 2007 energy battle.
The USA has been calling for reforming the extensively unpopular Palestinian Authority in current months, hoping it may assume the reins of governance in Gaza after the conflict. Israel, nonetheless, has rejected any such function for the Authority.
A lot of the Palestinian public sees the Palestinian Authority as tainted by corruption, mismanagement and cooperation with Israel. With no useful parliament inside the areas managed by the authority, Mr. Abbas, 88, has lengthy dominated by decree, and he exerts vast affect over the judiciary and prosecution system. There was no presidential election within the Palestinian territories since 2005, and no legislative election since 2006.
Whereas the Biden administration has not advised Mr. Abbas whom to nominate as prime minister, it has conveyed that it hopes for an unbiased determine who is suitable to odd Palestinians, the worldwide group, and Israel, based on Western diplomats, who spoke on the situation of anonymity as a result of they weren’t approved to talk with the media.
Within the Palestinian Authority, the prime minister is meant to supervise the work of ministries, however Mr. Abbas usually intervenes in decision-making, based on analysts.
Nasser al-Qudwa, a former international minister whose identify was floated as a doable prime minister, stated appointing Mr. Mustafa would signify “no actual change.”
“It could be changing one worker named Mohammed with one other worker named Muhammad, whereas Abbas continues to carry all of the playing cards. What’s the change?,” stated Mr. Qudwa, a fierce opponent of Mr. Abbas, who’s also referred to as Abu Mazen. “Abu Mazen desires to maintain the established order. He desires to maintain all the energy in his palms.”
Along with serving as Mr. Abbas’s adviser, Mr. Mustafa, an economist educated at The George Washington College in Washington, D.C., runs the Palestine Funding Fund, whose board is appointed by the president of the authority. He has beforehand been the authority’s economic system minister and deputy prime minister.
For weeks, Mr. Abbas has been signaling his need to nominate Mr. Mustafa. In January, he despatched Mr. Mustafa to the World Financial Discussion board’s annual convention in Davos, the place heads of state and international ministers collect to debate international affairs.
On the convention, Mr. Mustafa stated he thought the Palestinian Authority may enhance its governance. “We don’t wish to give any excuses for anybody,” he stated in a wide-ranging dialogue with Borge Brende, the discussion board’s president. “The Palestinian Authority can do higher by way of constructing higher establishments.”
Any future Palestinian prime minister will possible face monumental challenges, which can embrace making an attempt to reconstruct the devastated Gaza Strip and bettering the credibility of the federal government.
Jehad Harb, a Ramallah-based analyst, agreed that appointing Mr. Mustafa can be a sign Mr. Abbas has no intention to surrender energy, however he stated judgment on a brand new authorities ought to be reserved till the general public learns the identities of its ministers, and the way a lot authority and independence they will wield.
“It’s doable that there’s a possibility, however we’d additionally see a misplaced alternative as we normally do,” he stated.