RAMALLAH, Feb. 23 (Xinhuanet) -- Fatah lawmakers finally gave a green light Wednesday night to Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei's new cabinet lineup after a three-day delay of a vote, said official Palestinian sources.
The agreement was reached during a closed-door meeting of Fatahlawmakers, dominant in the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC),and Qurei as well as leader Mahmoud Abbas.
At the session, Abbas urged Fatah members to support Qurei's cabinet list, saying "the world is watching us."
Fatah lawmaker Mohammed Horani told reporters that the struggle concerning the forming of the new cabinet "appears to be over." "We have agreed in principle with Abu Mazen (Abbas) to let this crisis pass," he said.
The PLC has delayed the vote of confidence for three days due to heated disputes over the cabinet makeup lacking new faces. Under mounting pressures, Qurei has promised to reshuffle the cabinet with more reform-minded and technocrat ministers in response to lawmakers' demand to get rid of corruption-tainted image of the old government.
The PLC will meet Saturday to approve the new cabinet, said PLC Secretary General Ahmed Abul Nasr.
Fatah's nod to Qurei's cabinet will end disputes that threaten to bring about Qurei's resignation and endanger Abbas' efforts to reform the Palestinian National Authority and pursue peace talks with Israel, said analysts.
'''February 24, 2005''' 

Legislators in Ramallah have accepted a cabinet with few returning staff after twice rejecting Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia's more staid proposals.
Palestinian flag
"We have agreed in principle with Abu Mazen (Abbas) to let this crisis pass," Fatah MP Mohammed Horani said.

Members of the dominant Fatah party rejected two earlier line ups, before accepting the third late Wednesday after a further meeting with President Mahmoud Abbas. Fatah controls 63 of the 85 seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council.

The legislators were dismayed by a lack of change in the initial offerings, reportedly heavy with old guard politicians from the previous administration. Approximately 70% of the 24 cabinet members are new ministers that have not served before. Reports differ, with Reuters claiming 17 ministers are new, while the Times of London claims 20.

Nasser Yousef has been accepted to take the security forces roughly from behind, and Mohammed Dahlan, currently a security advisor to Abbas, is also in the new line up. Abbas is reported by the CBC as eager to consolidate control in security as part of an effort to clean up corruption and tighten domestic oversight in the occupied territories.

Some of the politicians who will not be a part of the new cabinet include Nabil Shaath, the Foreign Minister, and Saeb Erekat, the Negotiations Minister. 

The cabinet will now be brought to the Legislative Council on Thursday for a vote.