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American Morning

Interview with Palestinian Legislator Hanan Ashrawi

Aired April 29, 2003 - 07:45   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: I want to get to the Middle East right now. This is an important day in the Middle East peace process. The Palestinian legislative council is to vote on whether or not to endorse the government of premier-designate Mahmoud Abbas.
Palestinian legislator Hanan Ashrawi now joins us live in Ramallah to talk about the new cabinet, and the address that was given just a short time ago and continues at this time.

Good to have you back here on CNN and AMERICAN MORNING. Some very interesting words from the prime minister-designate...

HANAN ASHRAWI, PALESTINIAN LEGISLATOR: Thank you.

HEMMER: ... saying that terrorism does not support the Palestinian cause. How was that message received there in Ramallah?

ASHRAWI: Well, actually, the message was seen in its entirety. It's been perceived as a comprehensive plan of action or a platform for the new cabinet that will deal with Palestinian realities, Palestinian democracy, Palestinian reform. And the issue of security was placed in that context of rule of law and democracy, rather than an out-of-step sort of isolated promise to safeguard Israeli security, even while the occupation is ongoing.

What he said was that there needs to be security for the Palestinians, the solution is not a military solution, there has to be a rule of law, everybody has to abide by it. And, of course, there would be reform in the security systems, as in everything else in Palestinian life.

So, it's a tall order. It's a comprehensive agenda. And I think all of the Palestinians got the message and are receiving it rather positively.

HEMMER: Yes, you mentioned a tall order. He also mentioned that only security services should be allowed to carry guns or weapons in the West Bank and in Gaza. How tall is that order that he is demanding at this point?

ASHRAWI: About the -- well, there is a law that we had legislated about the illegal use of firearms. And, therefore, the question is, if you have security services that are allowed to by law carry arms and use them in accordance with the law, that's fine. But that is not going to allow for chaos, and it's not going to allow for people to use their arms in order to undermine either the Palestinian Authority or Palestinian security, or to undergo their own agenda, vis-a-vis the Israelis, given the fact that it is a strategic commitment to any negotiated settlement and a peaceful solution.

HEMMER: Yes, Yasser Arafat also urging lawmakers there in Ramallah to go ahead and approve the new cabinet. I don't know if this is too early to ask this question, but I'll try anyway. Do you believe today is a fundamental change in the Palestinian makeup as it may approach now the Israeli situation and working toward a Middle East peace settlement?

ASHRAWI: Well, I do think that this is a turning point. This is the beginning of a period of transition, let's put it that way. And it is internal primarily. But at the same time, the road map and external intervention and participation were all made dependent on the Palestinians carrying out this internal shift.

Now, there are different motivations. Some people want to sideline President Arafat or exclude him altogether. The Palestinian people want to keep him, but at the same time create a system where you can have a president and a prime minister working and complimentarily supporting each other, which is what we did with amending the basic law.

And I think you're seeing a whole new face, where, to me, this government should minimize its tenure and should work hard in order to ensure that we would have swift, free and fair elections in order to have a new government. Because both old leadership's worked according to the old rules of the game and competed on personal loyalties. Now, we need to move ahead with a whole new face, and I think that everybody will benefit.

The one missing ingredient, of course, is a peace agenda on the part of Israel. We haven't seen that here. There are still daily assassinations and incursions, the siege, the killings, the curfews, the demolitions -- this is ongoing. These are the things that have to stop, and this is a real test for Israel.

HEMMER: All right, I appreciate your time there in Ramallah. I know, as you mentioned, it could be a critical turning point. A lot of work straight ahead for you and everyone involved there in the new Palestinian cabinet and parliament. We want to wish you the best of luck, and we will talk again, no doubt.

Hanan Ashrawi live in Ramallah with us now.

ASHRAWI: Thank you very much, Bill.

HEMMER: Sure.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.







Aired April 29, 2003 - 07:45   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: I want to get to the Middle East right now. This is an important day in the Middle East peace process. The Palestinian legislative council is to vote on whether or not to endorse the government of premier-designate Mahmoud Abbas.
Palestinian legislator Hanan Ashrawi now joins us live in Ramallah to talk about the new cabinet, and the address that was given just a short time ago and continues at this time.

Good to have you back here on CNN and AMERICAN MORNING. Some very interesting words from the prime minister-designate...

HANAN ASHRAWI, PALESTINIAN LEGISLATOR: Thank you.

HEMMER: ... saying that terrorism does not support the Palestinian cause. How was that message received there in Ramallah?

ASHRAWI: Well, actually, the message was seen in its entirety. It's been perceived as a comprehensive plan of action or a platform for the new cabinet that will deal with Palestinian realities, Palestinian democracy, Palestinian reform. And the issue of security was placed in that context of rule of law and democracy, rather than an out-of-step sort of isolated promise to safeguard Israeli security, even while the occupation is ongoing.

What he said was that there needs to be security for the Palestinians, the solution is not a military solution, there has to be a rule of law, everybody has to abide by it. And, of course, there would be reform in the security systems, as in everything else in Palestinian life.

So, it's a tall order. It's a comprehensive agenda. And I think all of the Palestinians got the message and are receiving it rather positively.

HEMMER: Yes, you mentioned a tall order. He also mentioned that only security services should be allowed to carry guns or weapons in the West Bank and in Gaza. How tall is that order that he is demanding at this point?

ASHRAWI: About the -- well, there is a law that we had legislated about the illegal use of firearms. And, therefore, the question is, if you have security services that are allowed to by law carry arms and use them in accordance with the law, that's fine. But that is not going to allow for chaos, and it's not going to allow for people to use their arms in order to undermine either the Palestinian Authority or Palestinian security, or to undergo their own agenda, vis-a-vis the Israelis, given the fact that it is a strategic commitment to any negotiated settlement and a peaceful solution.

HEMMER: Yes, Yasser Arafat also urging lawmakers there in Ramallah to go ahead and approve the new cabinet. I don't know if this is too early to ask this question, but I'll try anyway. Do you believe today is a fundamental change in the Palestinian makeup as it may approach now the Israeli situation and working toward a Middle East peace settlement?

ASHRAWI: Well, I do think that this is a turning point. This is the beginning of a period of transition, let's put it that way. And it is internal primarily. But at the same time, the road map and external intervention and participation were all made dependent on the Palestinians carrying out this internal shift.

Now, there are different motivations. Some people want to sideline President Arafat or exclude him altogether. The Palestinian people want to keep him, but at the same time create a system where you can have a president and a prime minister working and complimentarily supporting each other, which is what we did with amending the basic law.

And I think you're seeing a whole new face, where, to me, this government should minimize its tenure and should work hard in order to ensure that we would have swift, free and fair elections in order to have a new government. Because both old leadership's worked according to the old rules of the game and competed on personal loyalties. Now, we need to move ahead with a whole new face, and I think that everybody will benefit.

The one missing ingredient, of course, is a peace agenda on the part of Israel. We haven't seen that here. There are still daily assassinations and incursions, the siege, the killings, the curfews, the demolitions -- this is ongoing. These are the things that have to stop, and this is a real test for Israel.

HEMMER: All right, I appreciate your time there in Ramallah. I know, as you mentioned, it could be a critical turning point. A lot of work straight ahead for you and everyone involved there in the new Palestinian cabinet and parliament. We want to wish you the best of luck, and we will talk again, no doubt.

Hanan Ashrawi live in Ramallah with us now.

ASHRAWI: Thank you very much, Bill.

HEMMER: Sure.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.