The PA Basic Law says that if the presidency becomes vacant, the speaker of the Legislative Council temporarily assumes presidential duties for up to 60 days while a direct election is held. The council has not functioned since 2007, leaving the written procedure difficult to apply in practice. In April 2025, Hussein al-Sheikh was appointed vice president of the State of Palestine and vice chairman of the PLO Executive Committee, making him a prominent contender but not automatically the PA president.
The Basic Law’s temporary succession rule
Article 37 of the amended Basic Law sets out when the presidency is vacant: death, an accepted resignation, or incapacity established through specified legal steps. It assigns temporary presidential authority to the Legislative Council speaker for no more than 60 days, during which a direct election must take place. Article 36 sets a four-year presidential term, with no more than two consecutive terms.
Mahmoud Abbas won the 2005 presidential election. The next national elections did not take place, and the Legislative Council stopped functioning after the 2007 Hamas-Fatah split. In December 2018, the Supreme Constitutional Court dissolved the council and called for elections within six months; no national legislative election followed. As the US State Department records, Abbas remained in office after the end of his four-year term.
What al-Sheikh’s appointment changes
The PA’s Negotiations Affairs Department identifies al-Sheikh as vice president of the State of Palestine and vice chairman of the PLO Executive Committee following the PLO Central Council’s April 24, 2025 decision. These are PLO and State of Palestine offices. The Basic Law’s Article 37, by contrast, concerns the National Authority presidency and assigns interim duties to the Legislative Council speaker.
That distinction prevents a common confusion: a prominent political appointment can signal leadership preference without amending the PA Basic Law. The formal succession question therefore remains tied to the inactive council and the prospect of an election.
Other political contenders
Al-Sheikh is a senior Fatah figure and longtime Abbas aide. Fatah’s Central Committee includes other veteran politicians, while Marwan Barghouti retains public support despite imprisonment in Israel. Their political standing does not create a constitutional office or settle who could win a future vote. The most reliable indicators are formal party decisions, changes to succession law, and an announced election administered by the Central Elections Commission.
See the record of elections since 2006 for the institutional context.