Arafat extends term of office for the legislative council

The chairman of the Palestinian Authority Yasser Arafat on Thursday issued a decision that provides for extending the duration of the current session for the Palestinian legislative council for additional three months, due to current conditions taking place in the Palestinian territories.

The Palestinian "presidential decree" which was issued by the Palestinian News Agency said that in line with "authorities assigned to it and due to the current conditions in the homeland and according to the requirements of the higher national interest, we have decided to extend the duration of the current session of the Palestinian National council for three months."

The decree reads that "the legislative council keeps to be during the said period of time ( three months ) to be in continued meetings until conditions will be appropriate to convene the opening session for the 7th session at due conditions." However, the Palestinian National Council could not hold its periodical and annual meetings with the participation of all its members most of the times since the beginning of the Intifada in September 2000 because of the Israeli closure and besiege measures of the Palestinian territories.