Former Planning Minister Nabil Shaath told reporters that the new cabinet would be presented to the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) on Thursday for confidence voting.

Shaath's remark came after a meeting between Arafat and European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

EU envoy Miguel Angel Moratinos, who also attended the meeting, told reporters that Arafat briefed him and Solana on the formation of the new Palestinian cabinet.

An European diplomat who asked not to be identified also told Xinhua that Arafat is intending to declare the new cabinet on Wednesday, and it will be presented to the PLC for approval on Thursday.

However, PLC Speaker Ahmed Qurei had announced earlier that Arafat had officially informed him that he (Arafat) finished the forming of the new cabinet, adding that Arafat asked him to convenea PLC special session to discuss the new governmental statement and offer it a confidence voting.

Qurei told reporters following a meeting of the Palestinian mainstream Fatah movement's central committee chaired by Arafat in Ramallah that he would start contacting PLC members to setup a datefor the PLC meeting.

He said that the PLC would probably convene either on Monday or Tuesday next week, adding that all the 86 members including Arafat would attend the meeting that might either be held in the West Bankor in Gaza.

"President Arafat would personally present the new government before the PLC members and would deliver a speech for this occasion," said Qurei, adding that Arafat would urge the international community to interfere and exert pressure on Israel to stop its aggression on the Palestinians.

Palestinian sources had said that three new ministers would be included into the new cabinet.

According to the sources, the new ministers would be Hani Al Hassan, a prominent Fatah leader who would be the interior ministerto replace Abdel Razaq Al Yahya.

Zuheir Sourani would replace Ibarhim Al Daghma to be the minister of justice, and Ahmed Shibi would be the minister of health instead of Reyad Al Za'noon, the sources said.

The sources said that the new cabinet would consist of 21 ministers, adding that 14 ministers from the former cabinet, which resigned on Sept. 11, would keep their former portfolio.

(Xinhua News Agency October 23, 2002)