RAMALLAH, February 12, 2011 (WAFA) – Saeb Erekat, head of the Negotiations Affairs Department in the PLO, resigned from his post, said Yaser Abed Rabbo at the conclusion of a meeting for the PLO’s Executive Committee in Ramallah on Saturday.

Abed Rabbo said Erekat had rendered his resignation to President Mahmoud Abbas and the Executive Committee, which will review it before making its final decision.

The resignation is related to the findings of an investigation commission into leaks of important negotiations documents to al-Jazeera, which broadcast them on its station.

Erekat had said he would resign if the commission concluded that the leaks came from his staff at the Negotiations Affairs Department.

At least three former NAD staff – one American, one British and the third French of Palestinian origin -  were believed responsible for the leak of about 1600 documents from the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations.

M.A.