RAMALLAH, Wednesday, January 19, 2022 (WAFA) – In its meeting last night in Ramallah, Fatah Central Committee unanimously reasserted its confidence in President Mahmoud Abbas as head of Fatah movement, chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), and president of the State of Palestine.

The Central Committee meeting, chaired by President Abbas, also unanimously reasserted its confidence in committee member Azzam al-Ahmad as its representative in the PLO’s Executive Committee and its member Hussein al-Sheikh are its candidate to become a member in the PLO’s Executive Committee.

It also unanimously elected its member Rawhi Fattouh and chairman of the Palestinian National Council (PNC), the PLO’s parliament in exile, replacing Salim Zanoun, 88, who served as speaker of the PNC since 1993.

Zanoun, one of the founders of Fatah movement, announced in a statement today that he endorses Fattouh’s nomination to replace him as speaker of the PNC, saying that he is going to leave his post the minute a new speaker is elected.

The PLO’s Central Council, the second in line to the PNC in the Palestinian decision-making process, is expected to meet in the near future to discuss and approve the nominations.

M.K.