Overview
- The official Wafa agency reported that Mahmoud Abbas issued a constitutional-level decree on October 26 detailing the temporary transfer of authority.
- Under the decree, Vice President Hussein Al‑Sheikh, 64, would serve as acting president for up to 90 days to facilitate a presidential vote.
- The provision covers incapacity, including death or illness, and would also apply if Abbas resigns, with no indication of an imminent resignation.
- The vice presidency was created in April 2025, when Abbas appointed Al‑Sheikh, a longtime confidant who has led the Civil Affairs authority since 2007.
- Reporting notes that prior Basic Law language assigned interim duties to the parliamentary speaker, while the new decree sets a vice‑presidential succession path.