Hussein al-Sheikh has been named vice president of the Palestine Liberation Organization. RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Hussein al-Sheikh has been named vice president of the Palestine Liberation Organization, the internationally recognized representative of the Palestinian people.

Sheikh, a relatively unknown Fatah veteran and former prisoner in Israel, has been chosen as deputy chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and vice president of the Palestinian Authority (PA),

The PLO Executive Committee announced in a statement that it will convene again next Saturday to select a new secretary-general, a post that al-Sheikh currently holds. His promotion marks a shift in the leadership structure, as no vice president position had previously existed since the PLO’s establishment in 1964.