Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas names successor

President of the Palestinian authority Mahmoud Abbas has finally name a successor following years of delaying presidential elections in the West Bank, according to Middle East Eye and agencies.

Abbas issued a decree stating that Palestinian National Council president Rawhi Fattouh would be temporarily appointed as his replacement if the position of president is vacant, according to a readout of the decree published on November 27th.

The decree read that Abbas made the decision out of a “belief and awareness of this delicate stage in the history of the homeland and the Palestinian cause”.

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Fattouh would serve for 90 days until presidential elections are held in accordance with Palestine’s electoral law. He previously served as interim president in 2004 following the death of Yasser Arafat until Abbas was elected in 2005.

He was also embroiled in a corruption scandal in 2008 when he was caught allegedly smuggling phones between Jordan and Israel. He denied the allegations and blamed his driver.

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Haaretz was told by senior Palestinian sources that Abbas was pressured to announce his retirement or choose a replacement if he could no longer fulfil his duties. He cancelled the last Palestinian election in 2021.

Middle East Eye, CNN