Arafat successor: PLO gives unanimous backing to Abbas

The Palestine Liberation Organisation today elected Mahmoud Abbas as its chief, virtually ensuring he will succeed Yasser Arafat as the next leader of the Palestinians, at least for an interim period.

The Palestine Liberation Organisation today elected Mahmoud Abbas as its chief, virtually ensuring he will succeed Yasser Arafat as the next leader of the Palestinians, at least for an interim period.

The PLO executive committee vote was unanimous, said Palestinian Cabinet minister Ibrahim Abu Najah. "That means no one will compete with him in the election for president."

The Palestinian parliament speaker was to be sworn in later today as the temporary Palestinian Authority president, officials said.