Eurasia Press & News
Abbas’s succession decree opts for continuity over reform, failing to address both the deep unpopularity of the Palestinian Authority, and its inefficiency
Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas issued a constitutional decree late in October establishing Hussein al-Sheikh as the designated successor to the presidency, a move that reveals deep institutional dysfunction, according to analysts, at precisely the moment Palestinians need stable leadership.
The decree specifies that if the presidency becomes vacant, al-Sheikh, the deputy head of the Palestine Liberation Organisation’s (PLO) Executive Committee, will assume temporary control for up to 90 days while elections are organised.
But analysts warn that the move sidesteps genuine reform while Palestinian unemployment sits at 23.1 percent and international pressure for change intensifies.
The manoeuvre has triggered sharp criticism from Palestinian factions and observers, who see it as political theatre masking the PA’s deeper crisis of legitimacy.
According to the Palestinian official news agency WAFA, if the presidency becomes vacant with no legislative council in session, al-Sheikh “will assume the temporary duties of leading the Palestinian National Authority for a period not exceeding 90 days, during which free and direct elections will be held to choose a new president, according to Palestinian election law”.
The succession mechanism can be extended once by the Palestinian Central Council if circumstances prevent elections.
Succession masquerading as reform
Palestinian analyst Asmat Mansour frames the decree as deliberate succession planning dressed up as institutional procedure.
“The recent decision reflects a strong desire to appoint the strongest person and the real candidate to succeed President (Mahmoud Abbas) Abu Mazen,” Mansour told The New Arab. “It is clear that there is a desire to achieve stability and continuity.”
But Mansour says the decree will entrench the current power system, rather than reform it.
“Although this decision may be framed within reform and modernisation, it actually reflects a consolidation of the existing system rather than achieving real reform.
Reform requires widening the decision-making circle, strengthening representation, conducting fair elections, and partnering with other groups, in addition to promoting oversight and transparency,” he said.
Palestinian political analyst Murad Harfoush agrees that the decree represents capitulation to external pressure rather than internal transformation.
“Issuing the decree did not come out of nowhere, but came in response to increasing international, Arab, and regional pressures calling for structural reforms in the Palestinian Authority,” Harfoush said.
But like Mansour, he argues the move avoids genuine change.
“The Palestinian people urgently need to reform the Palestinian National Authority and the institutions of the political system through conducting comprehensive general elections for all institutions of the state of Palestine, away from issuing constitutional decrees with a political character,” he stressed.
“The decision must return to the ballot box and the principle that the people are the source of authority must be enshrined.”
The PA’s legitimacy crisis
Mansour identifies what lies beneath the decree: acute institutional collapse as the political legitimacy of the Palestinian Authority faces significant challenges, with many questions being raised about it. These challenges relate to issues of elections, corruption, and popularity.
The World Bank reported Palestinian unemployment at 23.1 percent in 2023, with youth unemployment significantly higher. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has documented how institutional dysfunction drives joblessness in contexts of political uncertainty.
Mansour argues that the decree worsens international perceptions.
“I do not believe that this step will contribute to promoting its image in the way it has committed, whether at the Paris conference or within the two-state solution framework. On the contrary, this step may give negative impressions to the international community.”
Rather, he points to a vicious cycle. “Any system that reaches a state of weakness and erosion, where its popularity declines in this way, is exposed to internal challenges. The situation in the Palestinian Authority is very difficult, making the demand for reform the only way out to protect the Authority. Unfortunately, the Authority ignores this demand again and again.”
What reform actually requires
Mansour outlines concrete steps that need to be urgently taken to restore the PA’s ability to face the immense challenges facing Palestinians internally and externally.
Rebuilding trust requires clear steps, including returning to the ballot box, widening the decision-making circle, strengthening the partnership with different political factions, increasing transparency, and working to improve public perception by embracing the demands of the street.
Harfoush, meanwhile, calls for a comprehensive national dialogue.
“The current Palestinian leadership should launch a comprehensive national dialogue that includes all components of the Palestinian people, with the aim of agreeing on a date for conducting general elections in which all national forces participate, which would restore vitality to the Palestinian political system and inject new blood into its institutions,” he said.
The Palestinian Authority is supposed to take a series of measures and legislation that promote principles of transparency, integrity, and accountability, foremost among them issuing an anti-corruption law.
It should also prevent political interference in appointments and public positions, and ensure competence and professionalism criteria instead of nepotism and party affiliation, according to the two analysts.
Mounting international pressure
Both analysts note that international actors, particularly the United States, will shape the Palestinian political trajectory.
Harfoush expects sustained pressure as Arab states and the international community will continue to demand real and serious reforms in the PA, with comprehensive elections for the institutions of the Palestinian political system.
President Donald Trump has also called on the Palestinian Authority to implement structural reforms, signalling that Washington views the succession decree as inadequate.
Mansour, however, criticises international actors for not making support conditional on reforms.
“Arab states and the international community can play an essential role, but these issues have not been considered a main requirement before the [Palestinian] Authority, nor have they been set as a condition for continued dealing with it or supporting it. This approach must change, so that international and Arab pressure promotes reform as a main condition for security and stability in the region.”
What comes next
Three potential scenarios could emerge. The first involves the full implementation of Trump’s 20-point plan with sustained American engagement.
The second envisions partial adherence to reform components with a long-term ceasefire but no definitive political settlement. The third centres on strengthened Saudi-French initiatives amid diminished American regional focus.
Ultimately, Harfoush notes, both the Palestinian people and the international community see the implementation of reforms beginning with comprehensive elections.
“The sole path capable of renewing the legitimacy of the Palestinian National Authority is through conducting free and fair elections for the institutions of the Palestinian political system,” the analyst notes.
The succession decree may secure institutional stability. But as analysts make clear, it does nothing to address the underlying crisis that makes that continuity increasingly fragile.
