Abbas' cabinet to resign on Monday

The Palestinian cabinet is expected to tender resignations on Monday after which Prime Minister Salam Fayyad is to select new ministers at the request of President Mahmoud Abbas.

13 February 2011, 12:00am

1 min read

The shake-up, revealed by Reuters news agency, was long demanded by Fayyad and some in Abbas's Fatah faction. It follows the fall of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to a popular revolt that has set off reform calls throughout the Arab world.

Of the 24 posts in Fayyad's cabinet, only 16 are currently staffed. Two ministers resigned and six are marooned in Gaza. Of those present in the cabinet, some face allegations of incompetence.

The Palestinian Authority announced on Saturday that it would seek new legislative and presidential elections by September, but Hamas rejected that call and said it would not take part in the poll, nor recognise the results.