PA Head Mahmoud Abbas Announces Rawhi Fattouh As Replacement 'If The Position Becomes Vacant'
Mahmoud Abbas, chairman of the Palestinian Authority (PA), published a “constitutional declaration” on Wednesday, November 27, stating that Rawhi Fattouh, chairman of the Palestinian National Council (PNC), will assume the position of interim President “if the position becomes vacant.”
In the declaration, Abbas stipulated that if his position became vacant and the Legislative Council were “dysfunctional,” then Fattouh would assume the position of interim President for a period of no more than 90 days while elections were held.
Abbas specified that if elections could not be held, the Palestinian Central Council (PCC) could choose to extend his term for another 90 days, but no longer.
The PCC serves as one of the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s (PLO) policy-making bodies along with the PNC; Fattouh is chairman of both the PCC and PNC. Fattouh previously served as interim President following the death of Yasser Arafat in 2004; he held the post from November 2004 until January, when elections were held. (JPost/VFI News)