Palestinians to hold 1st leadership meeting in decade on April 30

The chief Palestinian legislative body will hold its first meeting in nearly a decade next month to elect a new leadership, officials said Wednesday. The event could pave the way for a future successor to President Mahmoud Abbas, AP reported. Ahmad Majdalani, a top Palestinian official, said the nearly 700-member Palestine National Council will meet on April 30 in Ramallah. The purpose of the meeting would be to discuss political issues and to fill positions on the powerful Executive Committee. The 18-member committee is the top Palestinian decision-making body. Although the meeting is not meant to choose a successor for Abbas, the composition of the new executive committee could give a strong indication of who the front-runners will be.