Ramallah - The Palestinian legislature accepted President Yasser Arafat's new cabinet yesterday despite criticism by many legislators that it did not combat alleged corruption and abuses of democracy. The vote was 55-28 with three abstentions.
Mr Arafat had stunned Palestinian legislators last Wednesday by failing to remove cabinet ministers they had wanted sacked for alleged graft and mismanagement. Ms Hanan Ashrawi, one of the most prominent Palestinians on the world stage, and a second minister, resigned on Thursday in a sharp rebuke to Arafat.
