Post date: Apr 14, 2013 2:7:38 PM
Palestinians voice mixed reactions to the resignation of Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.
RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (APRIL 14, 2013) (REUTERS) - Palestinians in the West Bank voiced mixed reactions on Sunday (April 14) to the resignation of prime minister Salam Fayyad, anounced on Saturday.
Fayyad resigned after months of tension with President Mahmoud Abbas, leaving the administration in disarray just as the United States tries to revive peace talks with Israel.Abbas, who has been unhappy with Fayyad's handling of the cash-strapped government, accepted the resignation and asked Fayyad to stay on as caretaker until a new government is formed, according to official Palestinian news agencyWAFA.
"President (Mahmoud Abbas) will start consultations to form a technocratic government that will oversee the election process. As for Salam Fayyad, he said a while ago, that he does not want to create obstacles in the creation of national unity and that he is ready to resign so that a government can be formed to oversee the election process and to find practical resolutions to the Palestinian crisis," said Abbas Zaki, Fatah Revolutionary Council member.
Palestinian law requires the president to appoint a new prime minister within two weeks.
Fayyad, a Texas-educated former World Bank official, is credited with helping create institutions in the occupied West Bank which would be needed if the Palestinians were to gain independence from Israeli occupation.
"It is better that he has resigned. It was high time for him to resign because we do not live in a kingdom where where there is a king who stays in charge for a hundred years. It is time for change and I hope it will be for the better," said Abir Hammad, Ramallah resident.
Fayyad, appointed prime minister in 2007, had offered to stand down before, Abbas had not accepted his previous requests after pressure from Western donors.
"He should not have resigned at such a tough time that Palestine is going through. Dr. Salam Fayyad should have postponed his resignation until better time. Now is not a good time to resign when Palestine is experiencing difficult time and economic crisis, he gave a weak excuse, too," said Younis Hmayel, student.
Western diplomats expressed dismay at the latest turmoil within the Palestinian Authority at a time when the United States is making a concerted effort to revive peace negotiations with Israel and boost the local economy.
During a visit to the region last month, U.S. President Barack Obama praised Fayyad, and Secretary of State John Kerry held private talks with the beleaguered prime minister earlier this week, in a gesture of support.
Admired abroad, including in Israel, Fayyad has failed to build a strong political base within the Palestinian territories, leaving him vulnerable to attacks from Abbas's Fatah party and the Islamist group Hamas, which governs in Gaza.
Fayyad's reputation among Palestinians suffered as policy missteps and economic hardships abounded.
While Fayyad was one of the few senior politicians to frequently visit marginalised communities and ask after their concerns, tax and commodity price hikes repeatedly stoked angry street protests against him.
Palestinian unemployment has risen to almost 25 percent and real GDP growth is set to fall from an average of 11 percent in 2010-11 to just 5 percent in 2013, according to the World Bank.