From the Liveblog of
Thursday, April 24, 2025
PLO votes to create vice president role, paving way to appoint successor to PA’s Abbas
The Palestine Liberation Organization, led by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, votes to establish the position of vice president, potentially paving the way to appoint a successor to Abbas.
“A vote was held to create the position of vice president,” Rizq Namoura, a member of the PLO’s central council, says in an interview with Palestine TV, adding the vote was “almost unanimous” in favor of establishing the post, a first for the organisation.
Palestinian analyst Aref Jaffal says the new role was created to pave the way for someone to succeed Abbas, 89.
“This position was created precisely to arrange for Abbas’s successor, as there are many things the Palestinian situation requires,” Jaffal, the director of the Al-Marsad Election Monitoring Center, tells AFP.
“The Palestinian political system is already miserable, so I believe that all these arrangements are a prelude to creating a successor to Abbas.”
Despite voting to establish the position of vice president, the PLO has yet to select anyone for the role.
Times of Israel Staff contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.