Palestinian secular movement Fatah said that it is to nominate three candidates to the PLO’s Executive Committee, Palestinian newspaper Al-Resalah reported yesterday.
Amin Maqboul, secretary-general of Fatah’s Revolutionary Council, told Al-Resalah: “Fatah is to nominate three candidates for the elections of the PLO due to be carried out during the upcoming meeting of the Palestinian National Council.”
“President Mahmoud Abbas told us he would not run for the leadership and he asked us to choose three candidates to run for the leadership and membership of the committee.”
Meanwhile, Al-Resalah reported that Fatah held several meetings in Ramallah and chose its three candidates, who are Saeb Erekat, the current secretary of the Executive Committee, Mohamed Ishtea, member of Fatah’s Central Committee, and Majed Faraj, prominent Fatah and PA security leader.
Al-Resalah’s sources said that one of these three candidates is to run for the presidency of the executive committee.
On 24 August, Abbas, along with nine other members of the Executive Committee, announced their resignation and asked the head of the Palestinian National Council to convene in order to choose a new council.
Hamas refused these measures, describing them as absurd because they do not comply with the agreements made between the Palestinian factions in Cairo. Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and other factions said they would boycott these measures.