PM Qure Declares The Formation Of Eight Technical Teams To Run The Evacuated Lands

2005-08-17

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GAZA, Palestine, August 17, 2005 (IPC) [Official PA website]-- Prime Minister Ahamd Qure announced two days before the formation of eight technical and logistic teams to run the delivery of evacuated settlements and gauge all the estates.

In a press conference held following the cabinet session, Qurei disclosed that the council of the ministers planed to split the lands of the settlements into 8 areas, where each area will be dealt with by a staff that run by a minister; who will be in charge of all the security and administrative matters connected with his area.

Each area falls under the competence of one of the eight ministers as below outlined:

• Mr. Yahya Yekluf, Minister of culture, and Mr. Waleed Abd Rabuo, minister of agriculture take the charge of the northern area of the West Bank
• Mr. Mazen Sonokrot, Minister of Economy, and Mr. Ziad Al-Bandak, the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities take the charge of Beit Hanoon area.
• Mr. Sofyan Abu-Zayda, Minister of the Prisoner Affairs takes the charge of the northern area of the Strip.
• Mr. Sad El-deen Khrma, Minister of Transportation takes the charge of middle area of Gaza Strip.
• Mr. Mohammad Ishtia, Minister of Public works and Housing takes the charge of the northern area of KhanYounis.
• Mr. Sakher Besaso, Minister of Sport, and Mr. Zuheira Kamal, the Minister of Women Affairs takes the charge of KhanYounis area.
• Thehni Al-Wahaidi, the Minister of Health takes charge of Rafah area.
• Mr. Sabri Sadam, Minister of Information Technology takes the charge of the staff which is responsible for Rafah border crossing.

The Prime Minister made clear that the Council of the Ministers demanded to nominate one representative for each faction, and a representative for the private sector, in addition to one representative for each of the World Bank and the Quartet committee to take part in the technical staffs.

The Council of the Ministers looked at such participation as a means of achieving a sort of mutual contribution, by which transparency and reliability can be embodied.

Qure stressed that the issue of the West Bank and Jerusalem is one of the cutting-edge of the Palestinian priorities.

As for the local elections, Qure disclosed that one or two more rounds will be run by the end of the year to complete the stages of the municipal elections, meanwhile the legislative elections will more probable take place after publishing the basic law on 21- January.

Mr. Qure stressed that the council of ministers will keep being held to observe in full the process of the Israeli withdrawal, and to make sure that all the national preparation are going well.

He also, stated that constant sessions of the council dealt with a lot of issues concerning the evacuation, not least those of the security arrangements that ensure the safety of the citizens and the staffs which will receive the evacuated settlements.

Mr. Qure expressed his satisfaction with the underway process of the evacuation on both the security and the civil levels.

Questioned about the duration of Israeli pullout, Mr. Qure said "Israel has decided to withdraw, and we are not worried about the appointed time by which they finish as long as they withdraw."

He added also "we will not enter these settlements by force, we will wait to enter the evacuated settlements after the final withdrawal; whereas, we can exploit the lands of the evacuated settlement and start a process of comprehensive development that pours into reinforcing our national policy which is built on a foundation of liability and transparency."

The Prime Minister repeated his government's rejection of the statement made by the Israeli Defense Minister "Shaul Mofaz", that Israel will keep 6 major settlement blocks in the West Bank.

Source: IMRA – Independent Media Review and Analysis