Abbas' Future Rests On Visit To Washington

     AP     2003/07/23

The Palestinian parliament could vote Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas from power unless he wins substantial Israeli concessions in upcoming talks in Washington, a top Palestinian official said Wednesday.

Abbas, who is supported by the United States and Israel but lacks popularity among Palestinians, is under heavy pressure to make progress in talks on Friday with U.S. President George W. Bush.

The Palestinians want Bush to press Israel to release thousands of Palestinian prisoners, stop construction of settlements on the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and take other steps.

If Abbas "is unable to achieve any progress on these ... points we are sure that he will face difficulties on the Palestinian street and inside the (legislature)," Amr said.

Amr said the parliament would convene when Abbas returns from Washington to assess his progress and "discuss again giving him its confidence or not."

Israel and the United States are interested in keeping Abbas in power, since they supported his appointment in April and see him as a replacement for Palestinian leader Yassar Arafat, whom they accuse of encouraging violence.

A temporary truce by main militant groups on June 29 has greatly diminished the violence of the previous 33 months, but progress has stalled on the U.S.-backed "Roadmap" peace plan that would lead to a Palestinian state by 2005.