Senior Palestinian officials were quoted Saturday as saying by the CNN that they have reached the conclusion that the era of Yasser Arafat as Palestinian leader is over.
The sources said that Arafat, 75, is not in complete control of his mental faculties and cannot make important decisions or communicate coherently.
Meetings are under way among other Palestinian leaders in Ramallah to determine a course of action and divide responsibilities.
Arafat is now in France for medical treatment, as his four teams of doctors reached the conclusion that he most likely has leukemia, officials said.
Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei and former prime minister Mahmoud Abbas have divided the Palestinian portfolio and come to an agreement, the sources said.
Under the agreement, Abbas would become leader, as chairman of the PLO and the Fatah organization, while Qorei would be in charge of the Palestinian Authority and security services, the sources said. (albawaba.com)
