By Mahmoud Najjar and Adam Hanieh
RAMALLAH — On August 5, a new cabinet was announced by Palestinian President Yasser Arafat. The announcement met controversy over the size of the new cabinet; 10 new ministers were added, bringing the total number to 32, despite a law that restricts the maximum size to 28. The following day, Dr Hanan Ashrawi, former minister of higher education, and ABDEL JAWED SALEH, former minister of agriculture, resigned from the new cabinet. Green Left Weekly spoke with Abdel Jawed Saleh about the reasons for his resignation and his opinion on the current situation.
Question: What is your opinion of the new cabinet?
I think it has devastating implications. In a way, it has really undermined the positive role and the potential of the Palestinian Legislative Council. It has thwarted the institution that we expected to have a real impact — that is the cabinet. It will never function as a cabinet with this huge number of members.
Question: So the problem is one of size?
My first point is about the undermining of the role of the legislature, which is a very dangerous step. It really withdrew the special role which the legislature should play, whether it is by passing legislation or to check and be a restraint on the government.
Question: What were the reasons for your resignation?
It goes back to June 26, when the budget was under discussion. I rejected the budget and gave the following reasons: firstly, there is no cabinet institution that could put forward strategies and plans to deal with the problems facing the Palestinian people — economic, social or even the question of democratisation.
The second reason was the absence for the respect of human rights. There has been no attempt to really tackle the violations of these rights, including the practice of torture.
Thirdly, this government has never really paid attention to what is going on in relation to the settlements; its role has been more like a neutral observer. I said once, when we were discussing the expansionist policies of Israel, that we resembled the Israeli cabinet, reviewing what was going on and our achievements in settling the land.
We didn't put any policies in place to confront this expansionism. We don't even stand beside our people who are the victims of the settlers.
Before knowing what was happening with the cabinet, I had this point of view. In fact, through all my meetings with the farmers, it appeared that the Palestinian Authority didn't consider agriculture as an important policy. They are funding the new casino rather than the agricultural sector!
Question: Why did you choose to resign now and not earlier? Did you expect that the new cabinet would bring some positive changes?
No, I didn't expect that. When people used the word change, I told them that this would be a miracle and this is not the age and time of miracles.
I didn't resign because I thought I was fighting a battle within my ministry and within the Palestinian Authority as a whole. I felt that within the agricultural sector and the ministry, I was achieving a lot.
I opposed those who were promoted within the ministry by Chairman Arafat, and through my efforts they had nothing to do with the policies of the ministry. For example, one of the general directors of my ministry abused the budget for research and used the money to buy a car. I referred him to court and to the general prosecutor. But the interference of the officials stopped any action being taken.
I believed this was a battle that I really must fight. We started in the agricultural ministry with no projects at all, but I left the ministry with 12 projects in progress and a $90 million budget. But I was fighting — in the Legislative Council, I was not taking the position of a minister, but of an opposition leader.
Question: How will the increased size of the cabinet affect the functioning of the Legislative Council?
Some of these new ministers were really the most vocal people in criticising corruption. They are now sitting with the same people whom they previously accused of corruption. This will prevent them from being free in expressing their opinions.
When you have such a huge number of people, you can't really discuss the problems of the people. As a minister of a certain sector you can't discuss the issues confronting you, because 30 people in this meeting have nothing to do with these sectors.
How can this mixture of people really discuss problems and find solutions? For example, I discovered a high-ranking official who wasted $5 million in 1997. I sent the chairman the subject for discussion, and in this meeting one of the members referred to the matter.
The chairman said, "Ah yes, our brother Abdel Jawed has written to me about this subject". That was the final discussion about it. How, why and what we could do about it weren't discussed. The man himself was treated with even more privilege because the chairman started to correspond directly with him and seek his opinions — he did not take any measures against him.
Question: Is the change in the size and composition of the cabinet related to the political situation?
Yes. I believe the main target was to bypass any official cabinet discussion around the negligence and indifference towards the problems of the people. I believe it shows that there are no real concerns about the future.
If you are concerned about the future, you have to mobilise the people, you have to alleviate their problems, you have to deal with their grievances. I believe the formation of the cabinet is a very clear sign of indifference.
Question: What is your assessment of negotiations taking place at the moment?
There are no negotiations. There is just one thing — the changing of facts on the ground for the benefit of Israel. I can't believe how this authority is just neutralising its role just to be an observer, without really trying to stop what is taking place.
Question: How do you see your role in the current situation?
I will continue to work inside the Legislative Council and with the people. I must ring the alarm bells about the dangers that are awaiting us and alert the people to what is really going on.
Question: What is the strength of the opposition inside and outside the Legislative Council?
I'm thinking seriously that we need to bring to maturity the attempts to bring together a nucleus — a hard-core group — which would really take the responsibility of explaining the dangers to our people.
Question: And outside the government?
There are very negative signs. There are many factors that increase frustration and desperation amongst the people. Amongst these things, people who were real fighters were just thrown out and left in the shadow. People who were really active in collaborating with the Israelis are now in high-ranking positions.
People who are selling their land are really not bothered. In fact, there are widespread rumours that when the security agents know about one of them, there are negotiations about how much he should pay them.
All of these things are creating frustration and thwarting any move to bring the people to participate in controlling their future. So I believe we have a very hard job, and hopefully we'll find many people to participate with us.
Question: In the current situation it is very important to build unity amongst the people, yet the Cabinet and the Legislative Council are dominated by Fatah. What is your opinion on this?
This is another very serious sign which I believe shows the direction towards building a police state, a one-party state and an undemocratic state. I believe these are steps in building such a system which should be very alarming to our people.
Question: We have heard stories that Fatah was trying to interfere in your ministry?
The first day after we were sworn in, one of the high-ranking officials transferred one of the general directors of my ministry without my knowledge, without any consultation and without any reasons. They did not give the poor man any explanation. So I stopped this interference, and the chairman himself sent me a letter saying, "These people are under my jurisdiction".
Concerning the case of the general director who abused the research money, the chairman wrote me a letter and said, "I would like to remind you that he is one of my appointees". I told him, "Mr Chairman, I didn't forget that, but he is a big thief".
He couldn't do anything, but when I sent the man in question to the general prosecutor, he interfered through the minister of justice and stopped any legal procedures. Now I am trying again as a member of the Legislative Council to follow these things. If they try to interfere again, I'll go to the High Court and try my best to make a case out of this.
Question: In the final analysis, how do you describe this new cabinet?
I said by the new formation of this cabinet, corruption was institutionalised in the Palestinian political system. Unfortunately, the school of corruption has really dominated.
Question: What does this make President Arafat?
He is the principal of the school.