Hussein al-Sheikh appointed as Palestinian vice president

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) approved on Saturday the appointment of Hussein al-Sheikh as vice president of its executive committee and the State of Palestine. The appointment of al-Sheikh came during a meeting held in the central West Bank city of Ramallah, chaired by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the PLO's Executive Committee said in a press statement. 

The statement noted that the PLO's Executive Committee will meet next Saturday to select a new secretary-general from among its members to replace al-Sheikh, who now still holds the position. 

According to the statement, during the meeting, Abbas stressed the initiation of a comprehensive national dialogue led by a joint committee appointed by the PLO Executive Committee and the Fatah Central Committee, with all factions to achieve reconciliation and strengthen national unity within the framework of the PLO. Al-Sheikh's appointment marks the first time such a position has been established since the PLO's founding.