Arafat admits 'mistakes' to MPs

Mr Arafat said he supported Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei

The veteran Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has told a meeting of MPs that "unacceptable mistakes" have been made under his leadership.

In what is seen as a rare admission, he also acknowledged there had been major failings in enforcing security in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Mr Arafat committed himself to a new effort to reform his government, but he made few specific pledges.

Last month, Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei threatened to resign over the issue.

"Some unacceptable mistakes have been made by our institutions and some have abused their positions and violated the trust that has been placed in them," Mr Arafat said in the keynote speech at his West Bank headquarters.

He admitted that "no real effort" had been made to enforce law and order.

"More efforts and support should be made for the security of the people and this is the responsibility of the security organisations."

Backing for Qurei

BBC correspondent John Leyne in Ramallah says those people pressing for reforms are likely to be sceptical until they see action to follow Mr Arafat's words.

There was no mention of corruption in the speech, nor any promise to reorganise the security services or to delegate Mr Arafat's power over them, our correspondent says.

Mr Arafat pledged to back Prime Minister Qurei, who was sitting alongside him during the speech in Ramallah, in his attempts to tackle the security situation.

Mr Qurei was persuaded to withdraw his resignation after a two-week deadlock in a dispute over who controls Palestinian security and intelligence forces.

It followed violent protests and a wave of kidnappings sparked by Mr Arafat's nomination of a close relative to head the Palestinian security services.

Opponents accuse the Palestinian Authority of corruption and cronyism.

Analysts say the turmoil has highlighted a power struggle between the Palestinian Authority's "old guard" and a younger generation of reformists, jostling for position as Israel prepares to withdraw from the Gaza Strip.