The Palestinian Authority Government of November 2003 was a government of the Palestinian National Authority (PA) from November 2003 to February 2005. It was headed by Ahmed Qurei, the Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority. The new 24-member Cabinet was approved by Parliament on 12 November with 46 votes to 13, with 5 abstentions.
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Background
Pursuant to the Oslo Accords, the authority of the PA Government is limited to some civil rights of the Palestinians in the West Bank Areas A and B and in the Gaza Strip, and to internal security in Area A and in Gaza.
On 5 October 2003, President Arafat had installed an emergency government. Arafat and his Prime Minister disagreed about the Interior Minister to be appointed in the next cabinet. Ahmed Qurei had nominated General Nasser Yousef. Arafat opposed and preferred Hakam Balawi. On 4 November, the term of the emergency cabinet expired. Hours before the 30-day term expired at midnight, Arafat transformed the Cabinet into a caretaker government.
Timeline
On 12 November 2003, a new 24-member government was presented to the Parliament and approved with 46 votes to 13, with 5 abstentions.
On 17 July 2004, Qorei submitted his resignation amid growing chaos in the Gaza Strip. Offices of the Palestinian authority in Gaza were burned down, and gunmen briefly abducted 4 French aid workers, the police chief and another official, demanding reforms. Arafat refused to accept Qurei's resignation. Arafat and Qurei disputed on Qurei's demand for more authority to restructure the security forces to reduce the growing turmoil. President Arafat decreed a State of Emergency in Gaza. Qurei had retracted his resignation and on 27 July Arafat and Qurei held a press conference after reaching a settlement in a cabinet meeting.
After Arafat's death in November 2004 and Mahmoud Abbas' subsequent victory in the Palestinian presidential election of 2005, Qurei was asked to continue in his post and form a new cabinet. On 24 February 2005, a the next government was formed.
Members of the Government
November 2003 to February 2005