First and Second Hamdallah Governments
The Palestinian governments of 2013 were two Palestinian governments established respectively on 6 June and 19 September 2013. They ruled de facto over the West Bank only.
First and Second Hamdallah Governments | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Date formed | 6 June 2013 (First) 19 September 2013 (Second) |
| Date dissolved | 19 September 2013 (First) 2 June 2014 (Second) |
| People and organisations | |
| Head of state | Mahmoud Abbas |
| Head of government | Rami Hamdallah |
| History | |
| Predecessor | Second Fayyad Government |
| Successor | Third Hamdallah Government |
The Palestinian government of June 2013 was led by Rami Hamdallah, appointed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas by presidential decree on 6 June 2013 in Ramallah, the West Bank. The cabinet comprised 24 members, and was not presented for approval by the Palestinian Legislative Council. Two weeks later, Hamdallah resigned in protest at the appointment of two deputy prime ministers for political and economic affairs. Hamdallah later backtracked from his resignation and on 19 September 2013, the cabinet was sworn in for the second time, without any changes.
The Hamdallah government succeeded the successive governments of Salam Fayyad, who had resigned as a consequence of the 2011–2012 anti-corruption protests.
Timeline
editOn 14 February 2013, amid pan-Arab calls for reform, Prime Minister Fayyad submitted to President Abbas his resignation along with that of his cabinet.[1] After consultations with other factions, institutions, and civil society groups, Abbas asked Fayyad to form a new government.[2] The reshuffle had long been demanded by Fayyad as well as members of Abbas's Fatah faction.[2]
On 6 June 2013, President Mahmud Abbas appointed Rami Hamdallah Prime Minister, but was not presented for approval by the Palestinian Legislative Council.
Two weeks later, Hamdallah resigned in protest at the appointment of two deputy prime ministers for political and economic affairs.[3] According to Hassan Khraisheh, deputy speaker of the PLC, the real reason Hamdallah resigned was because he discovered the Prime Minister has no power and that there was no point in having a prime minister “at a time when President Abbas has a monopoly over all the executive branch’s authorities.” “The presence of two deputy prime ministers, who are friends of President Abbas, means that the prime minister is a powerless figure,”[4] Hamdallah's June appointment was originally envisioned as an interim measure until a unity government with Hamas could be formed.
On 23 June 2013, Abbas accepted Hamdallah's resignation, but asked him to stay on on a caretaker basis until a new premier could be appointed.[3]
On 19 September 2013, Hamdallah withdrew his resignation and the government was sworn in for the second time, without any changes.[5]
In June 2014, the government was replaced by a Fatah-Hamas unity government, with Hamdallah as prime minister.
Members of the Government
editJune 2013 to June 2014 [6][7][8]
| Minister | Office | Party | |
| 1 | Rami Hamdallah | Prime Minister | Fatah |
| 2 | Ziad Abu Amr | Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs[5] | |
| 3 | Muhammad Mustafa | Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs[5] | |
| 4 | Riyad al-Malki[9] | Foreign Affairs Minister | |
| 5 | Said Abu Ali | Interior Minister | Fatah |
| 6 | Shukri Bishara | Finance Minister | |
| 7 | Ali Muhanna | Justice | |
| 8 | Ahmad Majdalani | Labor | |
| 9 | Ali Abu Zuhri | Education Minister | |
| 10 | Kamal al-Sharafi | Social Affairs | |
| 11 | Mahmoud al-Habash | Waqf and Religious Affairs | |
| 12 | Rabiha Diab | Women's Affairs | |
| 13 | Issa Qaraqe | Prisoners Affairs | |
| 14 | Maher Ghneim | Public works and Housing | |
| 15 | Adnan al-Husseini | Jerusalem Affairs | |
| 16 | Jawad Harazallah | National Economy | |
| 17 | Rula Maa'yaa | Tourism and Antiquities | |
| 18 | Safaa’ Nasser Eddin | Telecommunications and Information Technology | |
| 19 | Walid Assaf | Agriculture | |
| 20 | Jawad Awwad | Health | |
| 21 | Sa’ed al-Kawni | Local Government | |
| 22 | Nabil Dmeidi | Transportation | |
| 23 | Muhammad Abu Ramadan | State for Planning affairs | |
| 24 | Hussein al-Sheikh | Civil Affairs [10] | Fatah |
| 25 | Fawwaz Aqel | Secretary-General of the Cabinet (Rank of Minister) |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Unrest in the Middle East and North Africa – country by country". CNN. 18 February 2011.
- ^ a b "Palestinian cabinet resigns". Al Jazeera English. 14 February 2011. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
- ^ a b Abbas asks caretaker Palestinian PM to stay on. Agence France-Presse, 13 August 2013
- ^ PA's Abbas accepts PM Hamdallah's resignation. Khaled Abu Toameh, Jerusalem Post, 23 June 2013
- ^ a b c Abbas swears in 16th Palestinian Authority government in Ramallah. Jerusalem Post, 19 September 2013
- ^ Government of the State of Palestine, 6 June 2013. UN Observer SoP. Archived on 18 October 2013
- ^ United Nations Development Programme—Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People. Archived on 17 September 2015
- ^ 15th government of Palestinian Authority sworn in. Khaled Abu Toameh, Jerusalem Post, 6 June 2013
- ^ Kuwait News. KUNA, 17 November 2013
- ^ Israel agrees to return stolen organs of dead Palestinians. Al Arabiya, 14 November 2013