At a summit boycotted by his Islamist foes, two potential successors to 86-year-old Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas were named to top positions in the Palestine Liberation Organization.
Hussein Al-Sheikh, 61, an Abbas confidant who works as a major liaison between Israel and the United States, was chosen to the PLO's Executive Committee by the PLO's 141-member Central Council, according to official Palestinian news agency WAFA.
He is expected to take over as the committee's secretary-general from the late Saeb Erekat.
The council chose Rawhi Fattouh, 73, another Abbas aide, to lead the PLO's top decision-making body, the National Council, which met for the first time in nearly four years.
Both men were nominated by Abbas' Fatah party, which is endorsed by the West, and are widely viewed as possible successors in the Palestinian territories. They are not expected to advocate for any changes in policy regarding the management of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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