Arafat's death: Potential successors

Ahmed Qureia: Palestinian Prime Minister. Key architect of 1993 Oslo peace accords with Israel.
Qurie, who succeeded Abbas as premier, did not challenge the long-dominant Arafat and Palestinians increasingly accused him of inaction in office.


Mahmoud Abbas: Former PM. Respected internationally and among Palestinians, he was second-ranking leader of Palestine Liberation Organisation.
Abbas was named the first Palestinian premier by Arafat under US pressure in April 2003 and raised international hope for Palestinian reform and a revival in peacemaking. Abbas resigned in September after his reform agenda championed by Washington was blocked by President Yasser Arafat.

Marwan Barghouti: Popular Palestinian leader. In Israeli prison after conviction for involvement in attacks on Israelis. Was West Bank leader of Fatah.

Raouhi Fattouh: Speaker of Parliament who succeeds Arafat as President for maximum of 60 days. A bland politician with little support.

Jibril Rajoub: Former West Bank security chief who became national security adviser last year.

Mohammed Dahlan: Powerful figure in Gaza Strip. Good contacts with Israel and United States. His selection could lead to infighting among Palestinians.