Ramallah, West Bank
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is blocking a crucial reform in Palestinian finances, his Cabinet ministers said this week. Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei wants to pay police officers directly, through an auditable payroll system. Under the current system, security chiefs are given wads of cash, which they distribute as they see fit. The system is rife with corruption, as there is no way to track where the money goes. Arafat says he will not allow the 30,000 security officers under his control to be paid directly. Similar disputes with Arafat prompted Qurei’s predecessor, Mahmoud Abbas, to quit last fall.
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