Palestinian president, Yasser Arafat is preventing his prime minister from implementing a financial reform which has become a condition for much-needed financial aid, Cabinet ministers said Tuesday.
However, Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei denied reports he had threatened to quit, The AP reported.
Qurei's Cabinet approved legislation on Saturday allowing the Palestinian Authority to pay security forces directly into their bank accounts. Currently, security officers are given lump sums of cash and then distribute the money to their employees.
International donors have said this cash distributions are an invitation for corruption.
After the Cabinet meeting, Qurei and Arafat had an argument over the issue and Arafat refused to implement the Cabinet decision, said the ministers.
"There were tough discussions about the issue of security, but neither Abu Ala (Qureia) nor any other minister talked about resignation. Nobody's thinking about resignation," Cabinet minister Jamal Shoubaki told The AP. (Albawaba.com)
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