Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has named a veteran aide and confidant as his new vice president. It’s a major step by the aging leader to designate a successor.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday named a veteran aide and confidant, Hussein al-Sheikh, as his new vice president. This is a major step by the leader to name a successor. Hussein al-Sheikh appointment as vice president of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) doesn’t guarantee his position as the next Palestinian president.

For many ordinary Palestinians, the appointment of Hussein al-Sheikh was emblematic of how out-of-touch the leadership of the Western-backed Palestinian Authority has become.