PCC Approves Abu Mazen as PNA Prime Minister

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, March 10, 2003

PCC Approves Abu Mazen as PNA Prime Minister

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The Palestinian Central Council (PCC) of Palestine Liberation Organization approved late Sunday the appointment of Mahmoud Abbas, or Abu Mazen, as the new prime minister of Palestinian National Authority (PNA).

PCC Speaker Saleem Za'noon announced in the West Bank city of Ramallah that the PCC voted unanimously to approve PNA leader Yasser Arafat's request to nominate Abu Mazen as the new PNA prime minister.

Sixty-five members of the 89-member PCC took part in the two-day meeting in Ramallah, as 24 members were absent for security, social and medical reasons.

In a statement issued at the end of the meeting, the PCC also called upon Israel to end immediately its military actions inside the Palestinian territories.

"The PCC affirms that peace and security can never be achieved with the expansion of settlements and continuation of military occupation, and our people can never live under such circumstances," said the statement.

It expressed the hope that Israel will restart peace talks with the Palestinian side as soon as possible "to resolve all complicated issues between the two sides according to the principle and for peace."

Meanwhile, the PCC reiterated the PNA's stance of condemning all kinds "of terrorism, whether it is practiced by individuals or by groups, against civilians in the Palestinian territories and all over the world."

While condemning Israel for what it called "terrorism of state" against Palestinian people, the PCC also urged Palestinian militants to end their targeting of Israeli targets.

In the past years, Palestinian militants have been carrying out suicide bombings inside Israel in their fight against Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.

"Targeting Israeli civilians inside Israel, the government of Israel would keep using it as an excuse to continue its war and aggression against our people," said the statement.

Israel and the United States have sought the naming of a Palestinian premier to limit Arafat's authority.

The Palestinian Legislative Council is expected to meet Monday to amend the draft constitution and discuss the duties and prerogatives of the new prime minister.

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