Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to appoint Hussein al-Sheikh as vice president

By Aysar Alais and Rania Abu Shamala

RAMALLAH, Palestine / ISTANBUL (AA) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is set to appoint Hussein al-Sheikh, secretary-general of the Palestine Liberation Organization's (PLO) Executive Committee, as vice president of Palestine, an official told Anadolu on Saturday.

Ahmed Majdalani, a member of the committee, said, "President Abbas will announce, during the Executive Committee meeting scheduled for Saturday evening in Ramallah, the appointment of Hussein al-Sheikh as deputy chairman of the Executive Committee and vice president of the state."

The Palestinian Central Council approved on Thursday the creation of the new position at its 32nd session in Ramallah.

According to the Wafa news agency, the resolution said the vice president shall be appointed from among the members of the committee, nominated by the chairman and approved by its members. The chairman has the authority to assign tasks, and appoint or remove the deputy.

As many as 170 members present at the meeting or participating online voted in favor of the decision, while one member voted against and another abstained.

The Central Council is a permanent body derived from the Palestinian National Council, the highest legislative body affiliated with the PLO and has 188 members.