The new Palestinian cabinet headed by Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei was sworn in before leader Mahmoud Abbas and Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) Rawhi Fatouh on Thursday.

The new cabinet was approved earlier in the day by the PLC with a 54-10 vote. Four lawmakers abstained.

On the inauguration ceremony, 22 Islamic ministers placed their hands on the Quran while taking the oath and two Christian ministers on the Bible.

Most of the cabinet members are new faces, considered technocrats with professional skills.

Hailing the day as the first time to show Palestinian democracy, Abbas told reporters after the ceremony held in the West Bank city of Ramallah that he believes the new cabinet has the ability to fulfill its mission.

"I believe that the guys are professionals and able to do their jobs," said Abbas, who has vowed to press ahead with reforms in the Palestinian National Authority.

The PLC finally gave green light to the cabinet makeup after a three-day standoff that nearly resulted in Qurei's resignation.

Eighteen ministers out of 24 in total were newcomers. Former Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath was promoted to be deputy prime minister and information minister, while former Minister of Negotiations Affairs Saeb Erekat was out.

Nasser al-Kidwa, the Palestinian UN representative and Arafat's nephew, took over as the top diplomat.

Nasser Yousef and Mohammed Dahlan, both long-time confidants of Abbas, were absorbed into the new cabinet.

During a speech before the PLC, Qurei said the new cabinet would focus on security, reforms and elections.

Radical Palestinian groups, however, were doubtful of the new government's ability to bring about real basic changes.

Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman in Gaza, called for holding the legislative elections on July 17 as scheduled, which he said would lead to the participation of all Palestinian factions in the political life.

Nafez Azzam, a senior leader of the Islamic Jihad (Holy War), said that reforms should be on top of the new cabinet's priority.

"The past had witnesses many mistakes in decision-making, which this new government should avoid," said Azzam. "It is important that the political agenda of this government should go in harmony with the aspirations of the Palestinian people."

In addition, terming the birth of the new cabinet as a "very important change in the Palestinian political life," chief of the Palestinian People's Party Bassam Salhi on Thursday also called for the cabinet, seen as more reform-minded, to fight corruption.

(Xinhua News Agency February 25, 2005)