Report: Fayyad to Resign as PA's Prime Minister

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Salam Fayyad(Israel National News) Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad has presented a plan to the PLO leadership to form a more inclusive factional government, officials in Ramallah told the Bethlehem-based Ma’an news on Wednesday.
Two PLO executive committee members, denying reports that Fayyad had offered his resignation, said he presented a political vision to encourage a more inclusive government.
Ahmad Majdalani told Ma'an that Fayyad suggested forming a government including officials from every faction so as to evenly distribute responsibility before PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas returns to the UN in November to ask the General Assembly for recognition of 'Palestine'.
Majdalani said the proposal was not met with applause during the most recent meeting.
Wasel Abu Yousef, another member of the executive committee, told Ma’an that Fayyad did not intend to resign, but "during the last meeting a few days ago there was discussion about forming a government of factions," which would bring in more of the opposition.
Abu Yousef quoted Fayyad as saying that the Palestinian Authority is under pressure from a financial crisis that required a government of all factions.
Raya press reported Wednesday that Fayyad would discuss his resignation with Abbas soon. The president's office denied that report.
Fayyad, who was replaced as finance minister in a government reshuffle in May, has indicated he would be willing to step down as premier if the electorate insisted.
Protests in September largely blamed Fayyad, a former economist, for a financial crisis resulting in part from the failure of foreign donor countries to meet pledges on time.
The protests in the PA prompted Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to order the transfer of a 250 million shekel advance to the PA from tax revenues collected by Israel.
Israel has also taken a series of measures, including approval of construction projects and issuing more permits for PA Arabs to work in Israel, to improve the PA economy.
Abbas “repaid” Israel for its financial aid with a virulently anti-Israel speech in the UN General Assembly, in which he accused Israel of ethnic cleansing in Judea and Samaria and of murdering and abusing Arabs.
Fayyad also recently chose to blame Israel for the Palestinian Authority's financial troubles.

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