RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories: The Palestine Liberation Organization on Monday named Mahmoud Abbas loyalists to top leadership positions, with Hussein al-Sheikh appointed to the organisation’s executive committee.
But no decision was made on the name of a new PLO secretary general and chief negotiator with Israel, the two key positions being Saab Erekat, who died in 2020 after contracting the coronavirus.
At the end of the rare two-day meeting of the PLO’s Central Committee, officials said the roles would be filled at a later date.
Prior to the meeting, analysts had said the PLO chairman was seeking the promotion of 86-year-old Abbas Sheikh, perhaps positioning him as the preferred successor to take over as chairman of the Palestinian Authority.
Mohamed Mustafa, another Abbas supporter who chairs the Palestinian Investment Fund, was chosen to take the executive committee seat vacated by Hanan Ashrawi, who resigned in 2020.
Abbas loyalist Ravi Fatouh was elected in exile as chairman of the PLO’s parliament – the Palestinian National Council.
Analysts have said that support for the PLO, an organization founded in 1964 and accused of leading the state’s fight against Israel, was driven by frustration among the Palestinian people over its failures to hold open elections for key positions. . was rapidly becoming unpopular.
Addressing PLO officials on Sunday, Abbas promised a commitment to reform, describing it as a “continuous process”.
But as the meeting began on Sunday, protests demanding Abbas’s resignation sparked protests in Ramallah and Gaza, which is ruled by Hamas Islamists.
Hamas is not part of the PLO, and has boycotted the organization over its decision to negotiate with Israel.
The Palestine Central Council held a controversial meeting in Ramallah after the World Food Program launched a nutrition campaign in Palestine.