President Abbas Issues New Protocol for Temporary Leadership of Palestinian Authority Post.

Ramallah: President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday introduced a constitutional declaration concerning the succession plan for the presidency of the Palestinian Authority (PA). According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the declaration details the protocol to be followed if the position of PA President becomes vacant. In such an event, the Chairman of the Palestinian National Council (PNC) is designated to temporarily fulfill the role of PA President. This arrangement is intended as a stopgap measure while presidential elections are organized in accordance with the Palestinian Elections Law. The contents of Article I of the declaration provide that should the PA presidency become vacant, and the Legislative Council is rendered non-functional, the PNC Chairman will assume the presidential duties. This interim period is limited to ninety days, during which free and direct elections are to be conducted to elect a new president, abiding by the existing electoral laws. If unforeseen circumstances prev ent the elections from occurring within this timeframe, the Palestinian Central Council holds the authority to extend this period once, and only once, for an additional term. Currently, Rawhi Fattouh holds the position of Chairman of the PNC, which acts as the legislative and decision-making body for the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the entity that represents Palestinians on a global scale.