Arafat Trims and Reshuffles Cabinet
June 10, 2002 -- Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat reshuffled and trimmed his cabinet on Sunday to 21 cabinet posts from 31, following intense pressure on the Palestinian leader to streamline the Palestinian Authority. Here are some of the changes.
The New Palestinian Council of Ministers
1. Yasser Abd Rabbo: Minister of Information and Culture
2. Nabil Shaath: Minister of Planning and International Co-operation
3. Salam Fayad, Minister of Finance
4. Maher al-Masri, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry
5. Abdel Razzek al-Yehiye, Minister of the Interior
6. Naim Abul Hummus, Minister of Education
7. Riad Zannun, Minister of Health
8 Saeb Erakat, Minister of Local Government
9. Ibrahim Dughmeh, Minister of Justice
10. Azzam al-Ahmad, Minister of Housing and Public Works
11. Intisar al-Wazir, Minister of Social Affairs
12. Rafiq al-Natsheh, Minister of Agriculture
13. Abdelrahman Hamad, Minister of Natural Resources
14. Ghassan al-Khatib, Minister of Labor
15. Nabil Qassis, Minister of Tourism
16. Imad al-Faluji, Minister of Telecommunications
17. Mitri Abu Eita, Minister of Transport
18. Jamil Tarifi, Minister of Civil Affairs
19. Abdel Aziz Shahin, Minister of Supply
20. Ali al-Kawashmeh, Minister of Youth and Sports
The 21st member of the Cabinet, a Minister of Awqaf [Religious Endowments], has yet to be appointed.
Cabinet and State Ministries Eliminated
Parliamentary Affairs
Bethlehem 2000
Non-governmental Affairs
Prisoner Affairs
Environment
Settlement Affairs
Cabinet Ministers Dropped
Hikmat Zeid (Agriculture)
Mohammad Zuhdi al-Nashashibi (Finance)
Munther Salah (Higher Education)
Saadi al-Krunz (Industry)
Freih Abu Meddein (Justice)
Nabil Amr (Parliamentary Affairs)
State Ministers Dropped
Youssef Abu Safiyeh (Environment)
Hisham Abdel-Razak (Prisoner Affairs)
Talal Sidr (Settlement Affairs)
Hassan Asfour (Non-government Organizations)
Ziad Abu Zayyad (state minister)