Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat asked premier Ahmed Qorei yesterday to remain at the head of a caretaker government as the mandate for his emergency cabinet was poised to expire, a senior Arafat aide said.

"Arafat asked Ahmed Qorei to continue his job as the head of a caretaker government until the formation of a new government," Nabil Abu Rudeina said.

The request was made just hours before the mandate of Qorei's emergency government was set to expire, at 22:00 GMT yesterday.

Qorei said he would submit an enlarged cabinet line-up for parliamentary approval in the coming days despite an unresolved dispute over the post of interior minister.

"I will ask the Legislative Council (parliament) to convene a meeting, the date of which will be decided on today or tomorrow, to have a confidence debate in the new government," Qorei told reporters here at the end of the final meeting of his eight-man emergency cabinet.

"I think that this meeting will take place next week," he added.

Qorei was appointed head of the emergency cabinet in a decree issued by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat a month ago. – Sapa-AFP.