Palestinian president issues new constitutional declaration

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has released a new constitutional declaration appointing the vice president acting head of the Palestinian Authority if until the election, the WAFA news agency said, Report informs.

"In the event of a vacancy in the office of the President of the Palestinian Authority, and in the absence of the Palestine Legislative Council, the Vice President of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), also the Vice President of the State of Palestine, will temporarily assume the duties of the President for a period not exceeding 90 days," it said, citing the document.

"During this period, free and direct elections will be held to elect a new president, in accordance with Palestinian Election Law. If elections cannot be conducted within that timeframe due to force majeure, the period may be extended by a decision of the Palestinian Central Council for one additional term only."

According to the document, the new constitutional declaration reiterates the principle of the division of powers and the peaceful transfer of power by means of free and fair elections.

Addressing an international high-level conference on the Middle East settlement at the UN headquarters in late September, Abbas said that presidential and parliamentary elections in Palestine will be organized within a year after the complete ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

In late April, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) made a decision to establish the post of a deputy chairman of the PLO Central Council and vice president of the State of Palestine.

On the same day, Hussein Al-Sheikh, a member of the Central Committee of the ruling Fatah Movement and secretary of the PLO Executive Committee, was appointed to this post.