Ramallah, West Bank, Feb 17: Palestinian Prime Minister
Ahmed Qurie told cabinet members he is thinking of quitting
following heated words with Palestinian President Yasser Arafat over
reforms, a senior official said today.
Qurie and Arafat battled over the formation of a cabinet
when the prime minister took office late last year following the
resignation of Mahmoud Abbas, who accused Arafat of obstructing
him. At the time, Qurie threatened to resign but stayed on.
The official said Arafat on Saturday rejected a cabinet
decision on reforms and an argument with Qurie ensued. ''An angry
Abu Ala (Qurie) told ministers that he wants to resign and
that he's thinking of quitting because he can't go on like this
any more,'' the official said.
Bureau Report
