The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) on Saturday appointed Hussein al-Sheikh as the first-ever vice president of its executive committee and the State of Palestine, during a meeting in Ramallah chaired by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The move follows a decision by the PLO Central Council to amend the Palestinian Basic Law, creating the new role as part of broader organizational changes.
The PLO Executive Committee announced in a statement that it will convene again next Saturday to select a new secretary-general, a post that al-Sheikh currently holds. His promotion marks a shift in the leadership structure, as no vice president position had previously existed since the PLO’s establishment in 1964.
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During the meeting, Abbas called for the launch of a national dialogue process led by a joint committee drawn from the PLO Executive Committee and the Fatah Central Committee. The effort aims to engage all Palestinian factions to promote reconciliation and reinforce national unity under the PLO framework.
Wasel Abu Yousef, a member of the Executive Committee, told the Chinese news agency Xinhua that amending Article 13 of the Palestinian Basic Law allowed the creation of the new vice presidency.
The appointment comes as the Palestinian leadership faces increasing pressure to present a more unified political front, especially with internal divisions and challenges to its legitimacy from rivals such as Hamas.
Al-Sheikh, a close ally of Abbas and a key figure in negotiations with Israel, now holds an even more influential role at a critical time for Palestinian politics.