Jerusalem, Sept 03: Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, locked in a power struggle with Yasser Arafat, insists on being confirmed by Parliament in a vote of confidence, sharply raising the probability of a showdown with the veteran Palestinian leader, a senior official said today. Abbas initially said he would leave the decision on holding a vote to legislators. His reversal came after mediators failed to resolve his dispute with Arafat over control of security forces, said the official who met with Abbas yesterday and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Abbas, who is increasingly unpopular, could be toppled in a parliament vote. His ouster, in turn, could throw an already troubled us-backed peace plan into greater turmoil.
The Palestinian Prime Minister was to address Parliament tomorrow to sum up his first 100 days in office. His has failed in his two key objectives - persuading militants to halt attacks on Israelis and improving the daily lives of Palestinians through progress on peace "road map".
Many legislators, while critical of Abbas, have said they don't want to push him out and prefer that he work out his differences with Arafat. However, if Abbas insists on a vote, in apparent hopes of strengthening his position vis-a-vis Arafat, many legislators might not support him.
Palestinian Parliament speaker Ahmed Qureia appears to have some discretion about deciding on the timing of the vote, and was meeting with aides later today to discuss the matter.

Bureau Report