Abbas has 'no intention' of standing in coming PLO election
Sept. 1, 2015 1:08 P.M. (Updated: Sept. 1, 2015 1:41 P.M.)
http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=767370

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- President Mahmoud Abbas told Fatah's central committee
that he has no intention of standing in the the coming elections for the PLO
Executive Committee, the secretary-general of the Fatah Revolutionary
Council, Amin Maqbul, said Tuesday.

Maqbul told Ma'an: "Abu Mazen said that he wants to give a space for other
factions to participate. … We asked him to think again, especially in this
hard and serious period, and amid the effort by some people to get rid of
him."

Maqbul did not identify any individuals by name, although he also alleged
that a number of Palestinian factions are tying to "complicate" Palestinian
political statutes.

The Fatah secretary-general said that although Abbas will quit as head of
the PLO, which he has presided over for 10 years, Abbas does not intend to
retire from politics and will remain Palestinian president.

Earlier this month Abbas was among 11 other senior officials, including Saeb
Erekat and Hanan Ashrawi, to announce their resignation from the PLO
Executive Committee -- the executive body of the PLO.

It was subsequently announced that the Palestinian National Council -- the
PLO's legislative body -- would convene in mid-September to elect a new
executive committee.

The PNC session is currently scheduled for Sept. 14-15 in Ramallah.

Maqbul said Tuesday that the full list of Fatah candidates would be revealed
soon, after consultations were completed.

A separate Palestinian source told Ma'an that Saeb Erekat will also not be
standing in the coming election.

In July, Erekat took office as secretary-general of the PLO Executive
Committee, prompting speculation that he is being lined up to succeed
Mahmoud Abbas as Palestinian president.

Several factions and council members have protested the collective
resignation, with some arguing that changes to the national institution were
being carried out unilaterally by Fatah.

The last PNC meeting was an emergency meeting held in 2009 to replace six
vacant council positions, while the last Executive Committee elections were
held in 1996 during a PNC session in Gaza.