Shubair backed by Hamas and Fatah to be next Palestinian PM

MIDDLE EAST: Muhammad Shubair was yesterday confirmed as the next Palestinian prime minister by Moussa Abu Marzouk, deputy head of Hamas' politburo based in Syria.

A senior figure from the secular Fatah movement also said the job would go to Dr Shubair, a microbiologist who received his doctorate from the University of West Virginia and served as rector of the Islamic University in Gaza.

He observed that Dr Shubair has "sound relations with all" parties. Hamas and Fatah believe his appointment will be acceptable to the international community and lead to the lifting of punitive financial sanctions which have crippled the Palestinian Authority and impoverished Palestinians since Hamas formed a government in March.

Ziad Abu Amr, an independent legislator and academic who has often mediated between Hamas and Fatah, is the most likely candidate for foreign minister.

Salam Fayad, a former finance minister, is expected to be offered his old post. A former official at the World Bank, Mr Fayad initiated reforms in the Palestine Authority's chaotic finances during 2004 and 2005.

Hamas insists that affiliates be given eight ministries, including interior, education, health, and religious affairs.

Fatah, the minority party in parliament, will be offered six portfolios; the rest would go to other parliamentary blocs and independents.

On Sunday, current Foreign Minister Mahmud Zahar agreed to an Arab foreign ministers' proposal for an international peace conference bringing together the Arabs and Israel. Dr Zahar said the Palestinians had requested such a conference "in order to reach just and comprehensive solutions" to the Arab-Israeli conflict.

This was the first time Hamas said it would deal with Israel at such a forum.

The Arabs seek Hamas' and international endorsement of a 2002 Arab proposal involving full normalisation with Israel in exchange for its full withdrawal from Arab land occupied in 1967.

Angry Arab ministers also decided to defy the US by resuming financial assistance to the Palestinians in response to the US veto of the UN Security Council resolution condemning Israel for its latest offensive in Gaza which has killed more than 50 Palestinians.

Meanwhile, President Mahmud Abbas has been strengthened by his appointment as president of Fatah's central committee, a post left vacant after the death of Yasser Arafat. Mr Abbas is visiting Amman today to brief King Abdullah on the formation of the unity government and is set to travel to Cairo tomorrow to meet President Hosni Mubarak whose intelligence chief, Omar Suleiman, has played a major role in talks between Hamas and Fatah.