The likely successors to Palestinian Presidency

RAMALLAH:

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas received a clean bill of health after undergoing an emergency heart procedure on Thursday. But his brief hospitalization drew attention to the lack of a clear successor to the aging leader and the ongoing rift between rival governments in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Abbas, leader of the Fatah Party, was elected president of the Palestinian Authority in 2005 in what was supposed to be a four-year term. One year later, the rival Hamas militant group defeated Fatah in parliamentary elections and violently seized control of Gaza in 2007. Abbas has remained in control of parts of the West Bank ever since, while no national elections have been held. Despite his age, plummeting popularity and history of health issues, Abbas has ignored calls over the years to appoint a successor. A long list of senior officials and security chiefs would likely covet the job, though there is no clear frontrunner. Here are some possible successors to Abbas:

NASSER AL-KIDWA, 63

The nephew of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is popular among Palestinians. Al-Kidwa served as Palestinian foreign minister and as the Palestinian representative to the United Nations. Originally from Gaza, Al-Kidwa spent decades living abroad in New York, Cairo and Paris before moving to Ramallah in the West Bank. Al-Kidwa is a member of the Fatah Central Committee, but some in Fatah oppose him because of his close ties to Abbas’ rival Mohammed Dahlan.

MOHAMMED GHONEIM, 79

Ghoneim is the second most powerful figure in the Fatah movement. Although he is a political unknown, he is seen as a possible interim leader and a guarantor of Fatah unity. Ghoneim is among the founders of the Palestinian Liberation Organization. Raised in Jerusalem, Ghoneim lived in exile in Tunisia for years, and opposed the Oslo interim peace accords. In 2008, he moved to Ramallah. Palestinians have raised eyebrows at his advanced age and low profile.

SAEB EREKAT, 61

The veteran Palestinian negotiator with Israel is seen as Abbas’ closest aide and favored successor, having displayed unwavering loyalty to the Palestinian leader. Late last year, Abbas appointed Erekat as secretary-general of the Palestine Liberation Organization, the same position Abbas once used as a springboard to the presidency following the death of Arafat in November 2004. Erekat is seen by some in Fatah as an outsider, and polls indicate he would do poorly in elections for president of the Palestinian Authority, the self-rule government set up in the 1990s.

MARWAN BARGHOUTI, 57

The Palestinian uprising leader, who is serving multiple life terms in an Israeli prison, is expected to run for president from his cell once Abbas is out of the picture, according to his inner circle. Opinion polls have consistently shown Barghouti to be the most popular Palestinian politician. At a time when two-thirds of Palestinians want Abbas to resign, opinion polls suggest Barghouti would handily defeat a Hamas challenger, such as former Gaza-based Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, in presidential elections. It’s not clear, however, if Palestinians would choose a leader who is in Israeli jail during an actual election. Israel also has given no indication it would be willing to release him.

SALAM FAYYAD, 63

Serving as Abbas’ prime minister from 2007-2013, the economist won praise from the international community for cleaning up the Palestinian Authority’s finances. At the same time, the political independent has failed to build broad political support at home. Over the past year, he has made overtures to former nemesis Hamas, an odd alliance that could help him in a leadership bid. — AP