President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority intends to nominate Muhammad Mustafa, an in depth financial adviser, as prime minister within the coming days, in response to two Palestinian officers, a European Union diplomat and a fourth individual with data of the matter.
If Mr. Abbas formally appoints Mr. Mustafa, it will quantity to a rejection of worldwide efforts to encourage the octogenarian Palestinian chief to empower an impartial prime minister who can revitalize the sclerotic authority, officers and analysts mentioned.
Whereas Mr. Abbas was set on appointing Mr. Mustafa, a longtime insider inside the authority’s prime ranks, he was nonetheless holding closing 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 mentioned. 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 choice to nominate Mr. Mustafa will solely be closing if Mr. Abbas indicators a decree. After the Palestinian Authority president appoints a chief minister, that individual has three weeks to type a authorities, however can take a further two weeks, if wanted, in response to Palestinian primary regulation.
In late February, Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh tendered the resignation of his cupboard, citing the necessity for a brand new authorities that “takes under 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 tough questions on how a postwar Gaza can 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 wrestle.
The US has been calling for reforming the extensively unpopular Palestinian Authority in current months, hoping it may finally assume the reins of governance in Gaza after the struggle. The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, 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 practical parliament inside the areas managed by the authority, Mr. Abbas, 88, has lengthy dominated by decree, and he exerts large 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 impartial determine who is appropriate to abnormal Palestinians, the worldwide neighborhood, and Israel, in response to 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 typically intervenes in decision-making, in response to analysts.
Nasser al-Qudwa, a former overseas minister whose identify was floated as a doable prime minister, mentioned appointing Mr. Mustafa would symbolize “no actual change.”
“It might 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?” mentioned Mr. Qudwa, a fierce opponent of Mr. Abbas, who’s also called Abu Mazen. “Abu Mazen desires to maintain the established order. He desires to maintain all the energy in his fingers.”
Along with serving as Mr. Abbas’s adviser, Mr. Mustafa, an economist educated at 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 want 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 overseas ministers collect to debate international affairs.
On the convention, Mr. Mustafa mentioned he thought the Palestinian Authority may enhance its governance. “We don’t need to give any excuses for anybody,” he mentioned in a wide-ranging dialogue with Borge Brende, the discussion board’s president. “The Palestinian Authority can do higher when it comes to constructing higher establishments.”
Any future Palestinian prime minister will doubtless face monumental challenges, which can embody making an attempt to reconstruct the devastated Gaza Strip and enhancing 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 mentioned judgment on a brand new authorities needs 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 would additionally see a misplaced alternative as we normally do,” he mentioned.