Arafat examined by doctors, Sharon faces crucial vote

1.00pm - By ERIC SILVER

JERUSALEM - Tunisian specialists examined Yasser Arafat on Saturday night after the 75-year-old Palestinian leader complained of a stomach disorder and high temperature.

The move follows a visit by three Egyptian specialists a week ago.

A Palestinian minister told The Independent yesterday that Mr Arafat was suffering from a viral infection in his gastric system, which caused diarrhoea and general weakness.

Mr Arafat, who used to work an 18-hour day, has cut back on the number of meetings he holds. But associates reported that he was still fasting for Ramadan and said that his life was in no immediate danger.

Spokesmen claimed earlier that Mr Arafat had a bad bout of influenza, but sceptics said that would hardly merit bringing in senior doctors from abroad.

The Tunisian team is reported to include blood, heart and brain experts, as well as a specialist in intestinal problems.

Mr Arafat's lips often tremble, which is believed to be a legacy of a plane crash from which he escaped in 1992.

His rival the Israeli Prime Minister has other things on his plate though. The Knesset is due to vote on tomorrow on Mr Sharon's plan for the evacuation of 21 Gaza settlements.

Mr Sharon took one small step forward yesterday when his cabinet approved by 13 votes to six a draft compensation bill for the 8,000 settlers.

Government sources are predicting a convincing majority of at least 67 of the 120-member parliament for the disengagement plan.

But Mr Sharon suffered a blow on Saturday when Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, the spiritual guide of the Sephardi Shas party, ordered his 11 MPs to vote against the pullout.

With 17 of the 40 from Mr Sharon's own Likud threatening to rebel, the Prime Minister will depend on the opposition to see him home.

The far right is exerting massive pressure on the Likud Sharon loyalists. The settlers lobby has published their telephone and fax numbers.

The MPs have been inundated with messages urging them to vote against the "ethnic cleansing of Jews" and not to "strengthen Palestinian terror."

Likud diehards threatened to remove them from the candidates list for the next election, which is chosen by the 3,000 grassroots activists of the party central committee.

- INDEPENDENT