Palestinian government to quit Monday: top official

[oberliner]

RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories — Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad will tender his government's resignation to president Mahmud Abbas on Monday morning, a senior official told AFP on Sunday.

Abbas will immediately ask Fayyad to form a new government, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity, and the premier would immediately begin talks on doing so.

The Palestinian president had already made known his intention to reshuffle the government headed by Fayyad, an independent. He had also said the 58-year-old would be asked to stay on in the post he has occupied since 2007.

The official said consultations on forming a new government had been delayed by the popular uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, which are allies of the Palestinian Authority (PA).

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