Two weeks after appointment, Palestinian PM resigns

Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah tendered his resignation to President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday, just two weeks after his swearing in, Ma’an News Agency reported.

According to the report, Hamdallah resigned due to “differences over his authorities.”

It was not clear whether Abbas has accepted the resignation, as Palestinian Radio reported Thursday evening that the matter was “being studied” by the president’s office.

An unnamed Palestinian government spokesman told the website of independent daily Al-Quds that Hamdallah resigned after “his deputies overstepped their authorities.”

Abbas gave Hamdallah two deputies, one for political and one for economic affairs, apparently to make up for his political inexperience.

Hamdallah, a professor from Bir Zeit University, took over from Salam Fayyad on June 6. Fayyad, who was popular with the West, stepped down after a series of clashes with Abbas.

Hamdallah, from Abbas’s Fatah party, was expected to hew more closely to official Ramallah policy.

Hamdallah’s appointment was seen as a bid by Abbas to consolidate power.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.