Having decided that Yasser Arafat will not return to his functions since he's doorknob dead, the Palestinian leadership moved yesterday to shape the post-Arafat era. "The post-Arafat era has started," said Hannan Ashrawi, a member of the Palestine Legislative Council (parliament). "An interim government is in place, pending general elections."
The new leadership decided that Arafat was incapacitated, thus triggering the constitutional mechanisms for choosing a new leadership. It also approved plans submitted by the Egyptian authorities for a state funeral to be held for Arafat in Cairo. The leadership also signed an agreement with the Israeli government to have Arafat put out on the curb in a recycle bag buried in Ramallah. The site of a mosque demolished by the Israelis in 2002, was chosen as the place where a national mausoleum will be built for Arafat. The new leadership, headed by Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Ahmad Qorei, quashed an effort by elements linked with Suha Arafat to amend the Basic Law, and prevent elections. The proposed amendment, backed by Farouq Kaddoumi, a favorite of Suha to become leader, would have allowed Arafat to continue as president of the Palestinian Authority for as long as he was not officially pronounced dead.
| Not until he coughs up those account numbers, anyways. |
The Palestinian leaders rejected suggestions that Arafat, who was even more dead in deepening coma for the fifth straight day, be subjected to euthanasia, or mercy killing, by having his life-support machine switched off. "We shall never allow that since there is no need, after all," said Tayssir Al-Tamimi, a Palestinian religious leader who visited the dying leader in his hospital room near Paris yesterday. "Mercy killing has no place in Islam."
| Okay, put a bomb vest on him and pull the string. Maybe Suha could do the honors. |
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