Seminar Address Impact of Palestinian Government Turnovers

The Birzeit University Public Administration Department held on December 16, 2014 a seminar entitled, "The Turnover of Palestinian Governments and its Impact on Sustainability of Public Policies in the Palestinian Case."

Participating in the seminar were Birzeit University’s Vice President for Advancement Ghassan Khatib and political science professor Ali Jarbawi, alongside assistant undersecretary in the Ministry of Local Government Abdul Karim Sidr. The discussion was moderated by Public Administration professor Jihad Alissa.

Khatib, who had previously assumed ministerial positions in five governments over four years, talked about the circumstances that prevailed during the creation of the Palestinian Authority, and the impact of tribalism and partisanship on employment policies at that time, all of which led to building state structures based on individualism, not institutionalism.

Jarbawi, also a former minister, addressed the impact of regulations on public policies that affect overall performance, altering the ideology of government officials and leading to a change in methods of governing.

Sidr, for his part, said that the absence of legal monitoring of government bodies has been critical in influencing overall performance, and that administrative courts now determine the mandate and responsibilities of each employee.

Over the last two decades, 18 different Palestinian governments have held office. Some ministries have had stable leadership for several years, while some other ministers change every three months.