Speaker will take over

2004-11-10 22:40

Ramallah - The Palestinian parliament speaker will become temporary president of the Palestinian Authority in the event of Yasser Arafat's death, top Palestinian officials decided on Wednesday.

Under Palestinian law, the speaker would be president for 60 days, until new elections are held.

There had been some attempts by Palestinian officials to change the law, since some feared the current speaker, Rauhi Fattouh, a backbencher, would not be up to the job.

However, top officials from the PLO and Arafat's Fatah movement decided on Wednesday that the law should not be changed, said Abbas Zaki, a Fatah official.

Arafat controlled three top jobs - head of the PLO, of Fatah and president of the Palestinian Authority.

A decision on who would head the PLO and Fatah - and become Arafat's successor - will only be made after Arafat's death, said Zaki.

However, the leaders affirmed that the PLO's No 2, Mahmoud Abbas, would be running the PLO's affairs.

It would require a vote of the PLO's top body to formally install Abbas as PLO chief, and in effect as Arafat's heir.

Abbas has been acting as caretaker leader, along with Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia, and is seen as the strongest contender for the leadership position.

Arafat is in a deep coma in a French hospital.

 

   

 

- AP