Abbas intends to dismiss Abdrabbu

Palestinian sources in Ramallah told Arabstoday that President Mahmoud Abbas intends to dismiss the Palestine Liberation Organisation's leading figure Yasser Abdrabbu from his position as the secretary general of the PLO executive committee, as well as his position as the chairman of the Palestinian official radio and television body. They also disclosed that Abbas has already decided to withdraw Abdrabbu's administrative and financial authorisations, paving the way for his dismissal. Speculation has been circulating about serious disagreements, said to have taken place recently between President Abbas and both Yasser Abdrabbu and the Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayad, while the sources said these disagreements took place as far back as September 2011, when President Abbas decided to seek international recognition for the Palestinian state from the United Nations. Abdrabbu in  particular, had opposed this step, which prompted Abbas to limit his powers. Sources further added that the latest conflict between the three was the rejection by both Abdrabbu and Fayad to deliver Abbas's message to the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last Tuesday, claiming that Fateh's leading figures said they would not "work as messengers" for Abbas or Fateh. This was the final straw for the Palestinian president, when he learned of the betrayal while he was on his latest Asian tour. The falling-out between Abbas and Fayad may have begun earlier when Fayad was reported to have rejected Abbas's intentions of setting up a new government with a new prime minister, while Fayad preferred a cabinet reshuffle. Abbas has reportedly met with some of the PLO executive committee members, along with other members of Fateh's central committee, informing them of his disappointment with Abdrabbu and Fayad, and of his intentions to expel Abraddu from both his official positions. Sources confirmed that Abdrabbu left Ramallah for an unknown destination immediately after he was informed of his sacking.  However, some of Fateh's figures expressed disquiet about the prospect of a coalition between Abdrabbu and the dismissed leader of Fateh, Mohammed Dahlan, who now lives in the United Arab Emirates capital, Abu Dhabi.