|
'Incorruptible' ministry
Prime minister returns to UT
By Susan Peterson
"I'm a little surprised that he's prime minister," Dacy said. "I don't think he got involved in politics because he's a politician. He got involved in politics because of his smarts." Fayyad spoke to an audience of about 200 at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum Thursday evening concerning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He received his Ph.D. in economics from UT in 1986. After graduation, he worked for the International Monetary Fund for more than a decade before serving as the Palestinian minister of finance. President Mahmoud Abbas appointed Fayyad prime minister of the Palestinian Authority in June 2007 due to a state of emergency. "[Fayyad's] main job as minister of finance was related to the subjects I teach," said Dacy, who teaches macroeconomics. Dacy said Fayyad had a reputation as a "straight arrow" during his service as the Palestinian minister of finance. "[Fayyad] was incorruptible," Dacy said. "But that's how he was as a graduate student. He never would have thought he had to cheat on an exam." Fayyad said that for Palestine to progress toward democracy, there needs to be greater transparency in the government, increased physical security for citizens and plenty of new jobs to improve quality of life for Palestinians. "The only way to ensure the sustainable recovery of our economy is through the private sector," he said. Fayyad also cited restrictions on movement of people and goods as an impediment to development. He said last year the number of Israeli checkpoints in the West Bank increased from 528 to 561. Zaki Saadeh, a Palestinian computer sciences sophomore, said when was he growing up in Palestine, he had to pass through a checkpoint to get to school. Sometimes the checkpoint was closed, and he could not return home until the following day. He also said he cannot vote in Israel and does not have the same rights as Israelis even though he was born in Jerusalem. The Texan strives to present all information fairly, accurately and completely.
If we have made an error, let us know about it here, or email managingeditor@dailytexanonline.com. |
Be sure to include your name, major, and classification. Submissions without this information are subject to deletion.
By clicking Post, you give The Daily Texan the right to publish your comments in any form, including online and in print in The Firing Line. Please limit your comments to 300 words. The Daily Texan reserves the right to edit all comments for brevity, clarity and liability.
You may also send Firing Lines to the editor at firingline@dailytexanonline.com
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Gabby Lara
posted 2/08/08 @ 8:31 PM CST
There is a typo, just wanted to let you guys now that..."Zaki Saadeh, a Palestinian computer sciences sophomore, said when was he growing up in Palestine, he had to pass through a checkpoint to get to school. (Continued…)
angel martinez
posted 2/10/08 @ 7:51 PM CST
While his speech was well developed and to the point, it did not address any of the issues confronting the PA as of today. All question asked of him came from his supporting fans. (Continued…)
Post a Comment