jonessa2
09-06-2003, 02:54 AM
<span style='color:black'><span style='font-family:georgia'>http://story.news.yahoo.com
Embattled Palestinian PM to Step Down (http://story.news.yahoo.com /news?tmpl=story&cid=540&e=1&u=/ap/20030906/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_palestinians)
7 minutes ago *
RAMALLAH, West Bank - <span style='font-size:11pt;line-height:100%'>Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas will announce his resignation ahead of a session of the Palestinian parliament Saturday, chief negotiator Saeb Erekat said.
Officials Trade Blame on 'Road Map' Detour *
"Abu Mazen will submit his resignation to President Arafat today, before the meeting with the legislative council," Erekat told The Associated Press. Abbas is widely known as Abu Mazen.
Abbas had faced a vote of confidence in parliament in the coming days, and could easily lose the showdown.
He has been weakened by his power struggle with veteran leader Yasser Arafat, the near-collapse of a U.S.-backed peace plan and his inability to improve the daily lives of Palestinians.
Abbas had repeatedly threatened to resign, in an apparent attempt to pressure Arafat to hand over some of his powers. The threat carried considerable weight, because Arafat's international standing would slip even further were he to be seen as having engineered Abbas' removal.</span></span></span>
Embattled Palestinian PM to Step Down (http://story.news.yahoo.com /news?tmpl=story&cid=540&e=1&u=/ap/20030906/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_palestinians)
7 minutes ago *
RAMALLAH, West Bank - <span style='font-size:11pt;line-height:100%'>Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas will announce his resignation ahead of a session of the Palestinian parliament Saturday, chief negotiator Saeb Erekat said.
Officials Trade Blame on 'Road Map' Detour *
"Abu Mazen will submit his resignation to President Arafat today, before the meeting with the legislative council," Erekat told The Associated Press. Abbas is widely known as Abu Mazen.
Abbas had faced a vote of confidence in parliament in the coming days, and could easily lose the showdown.
He has been weakened by his power struggle with veteran leader Yasser Arafat, the near-collapse of a U.S.-backed peace plan and his inability to improve the daily lives of Palestinians.
Abbas had repeatedly threatened to resign, in an apparent attempt to pressure Arafat to hand over some of his powers. The threat carried considerable weight, because Arafat's international standing would slip even further were he to be seen as having engineered Abbas' removal.</span></span></span>