Palestinians are preparing for a round of elections to choose members of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee, as the final step to renew the legitimacy of authorities, with the aim to arrange a smooth transition in the case of any forced absence of President Mahmoud Abbas.
The upcoming elections should take place during the Palestinian National Council, which is expected to start in May, and come about a year after Fatah Movement's election of a new central committee and a revolutionary council.
Abbas launched these steps after years of debate over the need to renew legitimate bodies in an attempt to avoid any vacuum or political and legal conflict over the presidency of the Authority.
In this regard, the president of the National Council, Salim Zaanoun noted that preparations were underway to convene the National Council no later than the fifth of May next.
Fatah Movement is seeking to agree with the Palestinian factions in the PLO to hold the National Council with members present in Ramallah. However, Palestinian factions are seeking to convene abroad to enable most members to attend. Proposals were made to hold the council via video conferencing between Ramallah and Beirut.
The Council serves as the Parliament of the Organization, representing all Palestinians at home and abroad. It currently gathers around 650 members, representatives of Palestinian factions, forces and federations.
Since its establishment, the Council has held 22 meetings, the most recent of which was a special session in Ramallah in 2009, which ended with the appointment and election of 6 new members of the Organization.
