Abbas Appoints Deputy for PLO Vice President and Designates Potential Successor

(Patria) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has appointed a close associate as the first deputy president of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), according to a member of the organization's Executive Committee.

"Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has appointed Hussein al-Sheikh as deputy
(vice president) of the PLO leadership," said Wasel Abu Yousef, positioning al-Sheikh as a potential successor to the veteran leader Abbas, AFP reported.

Abbas (89) created the position of vice president at a convention held in Ramallah this week.

This comes after years of international pressure for reform of the PLO and at a time when Arab and Western powers are envisioning an expanded role for Abbas's Palestinian Authority (PA) in the post-war governance of the Gaza Strip.

Founded in 1964, the PLO is authorized to negotiate and sign international treaties on behalf of the Palestinian people, while the PA is responsible for governing parts of the Palestinian territories.

The PLO is an umbrella organization that includes several Palestinian factions, but not the militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which are currently at war with Israeli forces in Gaza.
Al-Sheikh (64) is a veteran leader of Abbas's Fatah movement, which dominates the PA, and is considered close to the president.