On March 10, 2003, the Palestinian Legislative Council (“PLC”) approved an amendment to the Palestinian Basic Law creating the position of a Palestinian Authority Prime Minister.

1. What is the purpose of creating the post of Prime Minister?
Creating a Prime Minister is part of the Palestinian reform process and is intended to create better governance through a division and balance of powers at the senior levels of the Palestinian Authority executive branch. The post of Prime Minister was created in response to Palestinian popular demand. Recent Palestinian public opinion polls show popular and increasing support for a Prime Minister. In August 2002, 69% of Palestinians polled supported the appointment or election of a Prime Minister.[1][1] In November 2002, the level of support rose to 73%.[2][2]

2. According to the proposed amendment to the Basic Law, what are the powers of the Prime Minister?
The powers of the Prime Minister have yet to be approved but, as currently set forth in the PLC amendment to the Basic Law[3][3], the most important power of the Prime Minister is to oversee the work of all public and governmental institutions, including the work of every ministry. In addition, the Cabinet under the authority of the Prime Minster (and not the President), would now be the executive body responsible for developing the ministerial program to be approved by the PLC.[4][4] Other powers include:
- forming the Cabinet (including appointment and removal of ministers and delineation of ministerial responsibilities),
- appointing a minister to act as a deputy prime minister in the absence of the Prime Minister, and
- calling and presiding over Cabinet sessions.

3. What else does the amendment to the Basic Law provide?
Each minister (including the Prime Minister) must obtain a vote of confidence from the PLC before assuming the position. (New Article 64)
The number of ministers in addition to the Prime Minister shall be increased from a maximum of 19 to a maximum of 24. (Amendment to Article 65)

4. Who is accountable to whom?
The Prime Minister and his Cabinet must be approved by a PLC vote of confidence. The Cabinet as a whole (including the Prime Minister) reports to the PLC and can only be removed as a body by a PLC vote of no confidence. However, the Prime Minister reports to the President and may be removed by the President. Similarly, each minister reports to the Prime Minister and may only be removed by the Prime Minister (or a PLC vote of no confidence in such minister).

5. Who is responsible for security?
Internal security and public order (including preventive security, civil defense and police forces) are a Cabinet function[5][5] (currently under the Ministry of Interior) and therefore, ultimately under the authority of the Prime Minister. Responsibility over national security resides with the President.

6. Who is responsible for negotiations with Israel?
The appointment of the Prime Minister does not directly relate to negotiations with Israel because the Prime Minister is a position within the Palestinian Authority, whereas negotiations with Israel are conducted by the Palestine Liberation Organization.
Negotiations with Israel are led by the PLO’s Negotiations Affairs Department, headed by Mahmoud Abbas, operating under the authority of PLO Chairman Arafat.

6A. So what is the difference between the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)?
The Palestinian Authority is a temporary administrative body (intended only to serve during the interim period prior to the establishment of a Palestinian state) established by the Oslo Accords in 1994 to govern those areas of Occupied Palestinian Territories from which Israeli occupation forces withdraw (currently 17.2% of the Occupied West Bank and approximately 80% of the Occupied Gaza Strip). Yasir Arafat was democratically elected President of the Palestinian Authority on January 20, 1996. To date, Mahmoud Abbas has not held a position within the Palestinian Authority.
The Palestine Liberation Organization, established in 1964, is the Palestinian government in exile and carries out the state functions of the Palestinian people, including negotiations with Israel. As part of the Oslo Accords, the government of Israel “decided to recognize the PLO as the representative of the Palestinian people and to commence negotiations with the PLO. . .”[6][6] Yasir Arafat is the Chairman of the PLO. Mahmoud Abbas is Secretary General of the PLO Executive Committee and heads the PLO’s Negotiations Affairs Department.

7. What is the process by which the post of Prime Minister will be finalized?
At the beginning of a PLC meeting on March 10, 2003, President Arafat nominated Mahmoud Abbas as Prime Minister.
The PLC then voted (64-3, 4 abstentions) in favor of creating the post of Prime Minister, a post which did not exist in the Palestinian Basic Law.
Later at the same meeting, the PLC adopted an amendment to the Palestinian Basic Law creating the position of Prime Minister and defining its powers. The draft amendment originated from the PLC Legal Committee.
The amendment was presented to President Arafat for approval on March 11, 2003.
The President has 30 days to (i) sign and publish the amendment in the official gazette, thereby making the amendment law or (ii) send the amendment back to the PLC with comments and the PLC will then debate the amendment in light of the President’s comments and may override the President’s comments by a two-thirds majority vote.[7][7]
In the event of the President’s approval of the amendment and Abbas’ acceptance of the post, Abbas will have three weeks (with a possible two week extension) to submit his cabinet and its program to the PLC for a vote of confidence.[8][8]
Abbas has stated that he not formally accept the position of Prime Minister prior to an agreement on the position’s powers.

8. Who is Mahmoud Abbas?
Mahmoud Abbas is a founding member of Fatah, the largest political party of the PLO. He is married to Amina and has three sons: Mazen[9][9], Yaser and Tareq. He has seven grand-children and another on the way.
Abbas is also known familiarly as Abu Mazen (“Father of Mazen”) in accordance with Arabic tradition which often refers to parents as Abu (“Father of’) or Um (“Mother of”) the first-born son.
Abbas was born in 1935 in the town of Safad in northeastern Palestine. During Israel’s campaign against Palestinian civilians in1948, Abbas and his family, together with most of Safad’s Palestinian population, became refugees in Syria - Abbas walking all the way to the Syrian border on the other side of the Jordan River. Abbas worked as a day laborer laying floor tiles and as an elementary school teacher before earning his B.A. in law from the University of Damascus. He later earned a Ph.D. in history from Moscow’s Oriental College.
Abbas is the Secretary General of the PLO Executive Committee (the highest PLO executive body). Abbas was the signatory to the 1993 Declaration of Principles that launched the Palestinian-Israeli peace process. In 1995, Abbas was the signatory to the Interim Peace Agreement with Israel.
Abbas heads the PLO’s Negotiations Affairs Department, established in 1994 to oversee permanent status negotiations.
Abbas is an avid reader of history and Arabic poetry and enjoys classical Arabic music.