WHO'S IN:

Ahmed Qorei, Prime Minister
Qurie, also known as Abu Ala, became prime minister in 2003 when his predecessor and now-President Mahmoud Abbas resigned after losing a power struggle with Yasser Arafat. Appointed by Arafat, Qorei has faced criticism from lawmakers for too few concrete steps toward reforms.

Nabil Shaath, Deputy Prime Minister
A stalwart of the dominant Fatah movement and an Arafat loyalist, Shaath was involved in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks beginning in the early 1990s. He had served until now as foreign minister.

Nasser Al-Kidwa, Foreign Minister
A nephew of Arafat, Kidwa served as the Palestinian envoy to the United Nations. He was close to Arafat's bedside when the veteran Palestinian leader died in a Paris hospital in November.

Mohammed Dahlan, Civil Affairs Minister
A former security chief and Abbas ally, Dahlan has become important as a negotiator with Israel. A US favorite, he has a wide power base in Gaza but less clout in the West Bank. He led the Palestinian Authority's only significant crackdown on militants after a series of suicide bombings in 1996 and is expected to help in an overhaul of security forces.

Nasser Yousef, Interior Minister
Maj. Gen. Yousef is a former head of security forces. The most senior military man to leave exile after interim peace accords, Yousef later became critical of Arafat and was marginalized. Regarded as a tough commander, he played a big role in the 1996 crackdown on militants and is expected to lead security reforms demanded by the international community.

On one meeting, Yasser spit in Nasser's face. In another, he called him a coward and a traitor and flung the microphone at him, and Nasser threw the Pen of Death at his boss.

Salam Fayyad, Finance Minister
Fayyad is a former International Monetary Fund official who has won international praise for efforts to make Palestinian finances more transparent and curb corruption. He joined the Cabinet in 2003 following US pressure for financial reforms.

WHO'S OUT:

Saeb Erekat
Erekat, a close Arafat ally who was minister of negotiations affairs, has served as a prominent spokesman for the Palestinians on the world stage.

By this point, he has no lips.

Intisar Al-Wazir
A member of the Fatah Central Committee and previously minister of social welfare, Wazir was a strong Arafat loyalist. She is the widow of Khalil Al-Wazir, also known as Abu Jihad, Arafat's military deputy who was assassinated in Tunis in a 1988 attack by Israeli commandos.

Hakam Balaawi
Balaawi, who was interior minister, is a long-time Arafat loyalist who has represented the PLO in Libya and Tunis. A West Bank native, he returned from exile in 1994 after Palestinians won limited self-rule, and has voiced criticism of militants.