On Arafat's health condition
Palestine, Politics, 4/19/1999

The French "Top Urgent" news bulletin said that as soon as Palestinian President Yasser Arafat disembarked from the plane after his recent visit to Cairo, he was checked by a group of doctors.

The French bulletin added that several indications stressed the deterioration of Arafat's health, and, as a result, there is escalated conflict over his succession among members of the Palestinian government.

The bulletin reported that after a long journey which took him to Turkey, Russia, Japan, and Vietnam, Arafat then visited Cairo where he underwent medical checkups. The bulletin said that in case the seat of the Palestinian presidency is evacuated, the Palestinian legislation sets "a provisional period" of 60-days, during which the chairman of the legislative council assumes power. Ahmad Qrei (Abu Allah) currently holds this post.

The French news bulletin added that Abu Qrei will face various wings of the Palestinian government, especially Col. Ahmad Jibreel al-Rajoub, and Col. Muhammad Dahlan, who are the chairmen of the preventive security systems in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

The bulletin continued that al-Rajoub has not hidden his interest in succeeding Arafat, because he has the support of Washington and Tel Aviv in that, but it said the leaders of the Fatah movement oppose him and he does not enjoy support from Cairo.

Al-Rajoub, moreover, legalized closeness with Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), the second man in the Palestinian government and the "chosen successor" of Arafat, the report said.

The Fatah movement set up a council in charge of reaching social solutions to withstand possible confrontations. The bulletin said that the council recommended that Abu Mazen is to assume the presidency due to his relations with international suppliers and Palestinian communities and because he enjoys the backing of Tel Aviv.

It also recommended that Abu Mazen will appoint with him two vice presidents, Col. Jibril Rajoub and Col. Muhammad Dahlan.

Previous Stories:
  Report: Arafat to resign following Israeli redeployment   (6/11/1998)
  Arafat's successor?   (2/13/1998)
  Power struggle within Palestine as a result of Arafat's illness?   (11/18/1997)

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