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Palestinian Legislative Council votes to end Abbas’ mandate

January 9, 2019 at 1:41 pm

The Palestinian Legislative Council in session on 9 January 2019 [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]

The Palestinian Legislative Council today overwhelmingly voted to end Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ mandate saying he has lost his constitutional, legal and national capacity.

During a session held in its Gaza city headquarters, the body approved a report by its Political Committee which recommended Abbas be disqualified.

In a speech, First Deputy Speaker Ahmed Bahar said Abbas had lost his legal, constitutional, moral and humanitarian capacity to continue in his post.

“The free political concessions offered by Abbas to the occupation, his war on the resistance, boasting about security cooperation and describing our people as terrorists … all this makes Abbas lack the political capacity to be president of the Palestinian people,” Bahar said.

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He stressed that Abbas continued in his actions against the Palestinian people in preparation for the implementation of the American plan to liquidate the Palestinian cause.

He called on human rights organisations, the Arab League, the Arab and Islamic countries, and the international community to unite and stop Abbas usurping power.

On Monday, the Abbas called on PA officers to be withdrawn from the Rafah crossing. Consequently, the Egyptian authorities announced the closure of the crossing for those travelling out of Gaza. They said that they would keep it open only for Gaza residents stranded abroad.