Abbas won't run for reelection as head of PLO
While opting to remain Palestinian president, Abbas won't return to role of PLO leader; current PLO head Erekat says he also won't run for reelection, leaving question of Abbas' successor up in the air.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who declared he was quitting as the head of the Palestinian Liberation Organization's Executive Committee, will also not be running for reelection in two weeks, a senior Palestinian source told Ynet on Tuesday. Abbas will however remain the president of the PA.
This means that in two weeks, Abbas will no longer head the PLO - the official, recognized and legitimate organization representing the Palestinian people. The Palestinian Authority is a separate body which was established following the Oslo Accords as a temporary entity to govern the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza until a Palestinian state is formed.
According to the Palestinian constitution, in order to elect a new Palestinian president - after the previous president has died, resigned, or can no longer fulfill his duties - general elections must be held in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip. However, because of the conflict between Abbas' Fatah party and Hamas, a deputy might be appointed for Abbas, to serve as his replacement when the time comes, in order to avoid going to elections.
Senior Palestinian officials told Ynet that Abbas has despaired of the PLO and the Fatah movement, but mostly he has despaired of Israel and the fact there is no real hope for diplomatic negotiations that could lead to the formation of a Palestinian state.
Palestinian negotiator and the secretary-general of the PLO Executive Committee, Saeb Erekat, also announced on Monday night that he does not intend to run for a spot in the organization in the upcoming elections, nor will he run for a spot in the Fatah Executive Committee. Fatah's new Executive Committee, which makes up of the party's senior leadership, is expected to be elected in the coming months.
Erekat is expected to keep his professional role as peace negotiator, but not his political roles, which leaves the question of Abbas' successor up in the air. It was initially thought that Erekat's appointment as head of the PLO Executive Committee instead of Yasser Abed Rabbo was done in order to place him in a prominent position that would position him as Abbas' preferred candidate to replace him.
Whoever is elected the next head of the PLO will have an advantage in the race to the Palestinian presidency in the day after Abbas.
Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Lieberman said Tuesday that "we can only hope Abbas' threats to retire come true, because Abbas is the biggest obstacle for an agreement and to coexistence between Israel and the Palestinians. Unfortunately, we've heard Abbas' threats of retirement many times - but he's still with us."
Moran Azulay contributed to this report.
