In a significant political move, Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas issued a decree on Sunday designating his vice president, Hussein al-Sheikh, as the acting president in the event of a vacancy. The decree outlines that if the president dies or becomes incapacitated, the vice president will assume the role for up to 90 days, during which elections for a new president must be conducted. Should exceptional circumstances prevent elections within this period, the Palestinian Central Council may extend the interim term once. This decision has ignited fierce criticism from opponents, who argue it violates constitutional norms. Under Palestinian law, the speaker of parliament—last elected from Hamas in 2006—is next in line for succession. However, the new decree places the vice president—a recently established position—next in line, bypassing the non-functioning parliament. Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem condemned the move, labeling it a unilateral alteration of the political system that exploits the situation for specific factions. He asserted that the decree distorts the political system and complicates prospects for reform. Qassem emphasized Hamas’s commitment to reforming the political system within a framework of national consensus and achieving true Palestinian unity to address the challenges facing the Palestinian cause. Sheikh, a close ally of Abbas, was appointed vice president of the state of Palestine and the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in April—positions newly created at the time. His appointment was criticized by Hamas as an entrenchment of monopoly and exclusion. Sheikh, who previously coordinated security matters with Israeli occupation forces, maintains close ties with Israeli military leaders and American diplomats but enjoys limited support among Palestinians. A 2022 survey by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research revealed that Sheikh would have garnered only three percent of the vote in a presidential election. His reputation has been further tarnished by allegations of sexual harassment in 2012, with reports of $100,000 paid as hush money to withdraw the claim. Sheikh has consistently refused to address these allegations.