How to replace Abbas? Produce a vice president
While some Palestinian politicos discuss creating a vice presidential position appointed by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas as a transitional safeguard, others complain that the next in line to lead must be elected.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Many Palestinians are concerned about the future of the Palestinian Authority in the absence of a stable political system and in light of the numerous Fatah leaders aspiring to assume the top seat in a post-President Mahmoud Abbas scenario.
Asaad Abd al-Rahman, a member of the PLO Executive Committee, told the Jordanian al-Ghad newspaper Oct. 11 that a “serious dialogue is currently underway" to appoint a vice president to prevent "many undesirable conflicts and slippery slopes.”
Possible candidates, Abd al-Rahman said, include Mohammed Dahlan, an Abbas rival who was dismissed as a Fatah official in 2011. He added, “Many believe that Dahlan is recommended by several Arab and regional parties, more than he is supported by Fatah and its institutions, particularly following the things that happened between him and Abbas and the entire Fatah Central Committee.”
Nasser al-Kidwa, a member of Fatah's Central Committee and a close Dahlan associate, is also being mentioned “as a result of a consensus among aspiring and other influential figures within the Central Committee," Abd al-Rahman said.
