Hamas slams VP Hussein al-Sheikh's appointment by PA
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Hamas rejects Hussein al-Sheikh's appointment as vice president under Mahmoud Abbas, calling it exclusionary and against Palestinian national consensus.
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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas listens as he meets French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, in Ramallah, West Bank. (AP)
Hamas condemned the appointment of Hussein al-Sheikh as vice president under Mahmoud Abbas, the leader of the Palestinian Authority, in a statement issued on Sunday.
The group described the decision as a response to "external dictates" that deepens a policy of exclusion and unilateral action, ignoring both national consensus and the will of the Palestinian people.
Hamas criticized the move, asserting it reveals the Palestinian Liberation Organization's entrenched leadership's intent to continue paralyzing its institutions instead of making them a unifying platform for the struggle of the Palestinian people and their active factions.
The Palestinian Resistance Movement emphasized that the priority today is halting "Israel's" aggression, genocide, and starvation campaign, and uniting efforts to resist occupation and settlement expansion, rather than dividing positions of power to satisfy external interests.
The group urged all Palestinian factions and forces to reject the appointment and focus on rebuilding the PLO on national and democratic foundations, free from foreign influence, in a way that genuinely represents the Palestinian people and supports their just cause.
On April 26, the PLO Executive Committee appointed Hussein al-Sheikh, the current Secretary-General of the Committee, as the first deputy chairman in the organization's history.
PLO vice presidency aimed at succession planning
The appointment was confirmed by PLO Executive Committee member Wasel Abu Yousef, who stated, "Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas appointed Hussein al-Sheikh as a deputy (vice president) of the PLO leadership."
At 89, Abbas has faced increasing international calls for PLO leadership reform, especially from Arab and Western powers looking to see an expanded role for the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the post-war governance of the Gaza Strip.
The PA handles local governance in parts of the occupied Palestinian territories, including the West Bank.
The vice presidency was officially established during a recent PLO convention held in Ramallah. Analysts suggest that this development is designed to pave the way for a transition of power within the Palestinian leadership.
Founded in 1964, the PLO was recognized by the United Nations and many countries as the representative body empowered to negotiate international agreements on behalf of the Palestinian people.
Initially, the PLO pursued armed struggle against "Israel", but over time, particularly from the late 1980s, it shifted toward negotiations and diplomacy.
The PLO signed major agreements with "Israel", including the Oslo Accords in the 1990s, and recognized "Israel’s" "right to exist", while seeking an independent state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and the eastern part of al-Quds.
The organization is composed of various Palestinian political factions, with Fatah (led historically by Yasser Arafat) being the most dominant. The PLO does not include Hamas or the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) movement, the Palestinian Resistance groups currently engaged in confrontations with Israeli occupation forces in Gaza.
