Leaders will travel to Paris

2004-11-08 13:07

Ramallah, West Bank - Three of Yasser Arafat's top lieutenants have decided that they will travel to France later Monday to visit the ailing Palestinian leader in hospital, Palestinian officials told AFP.

Prime minister Ahmed Qorei, acting Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) leader Mahmud Abbas and foreign minister Nabil Shaath had scrapped their planned visit earlier in the day after Arafat's wife accused the three of wanting to bury her husband alive.

But a Palestinian minister said after the weekly cabinet meeting that the trio had decided they would go after all to Paris.

"I have spoken with Abu Mazen (Abbas) and he confirmed that they will go to Paris today," the minister said on condition of anonymity.

Later, the head of Arafat's office, Tayeb Abdelrahim, confirmed that the delegation would leave Ramallah at midday for the Jordanian capital Amman, continuing on to Paris later in the day.

Joining Qorei, Abbas and Shaath will be Palestinian parliament speaker Rawhi Fattuh, Abdelrahim told AFP.

He also said the delegation would meet with French foreign minister Michel Barnier on Tuesday.

In an interview with Al-Jazeera television, Suha said that Abbas, Qorei and Shaath, "who are trying to inherit his power, want to bury Arafat alive."

But Palestinian deputy Hanan Ashrawi countered: "This is their right to go to Paris - to dispel the rumours. It is unfortunate that (Suha Arafat) made this statements. These comments are provocative and divisive."

"Abu Alaa (Qorei) and Mahmud Abbas will get news firsthand," she added.

"Doctors are saying the same things. He is stable. From what we hear he is not entirely conscious, but we cannot say anything - only the doctors can say," Ashrawi told AFP.

- AFP