JEDDAH/PARIS, 8 November 2004 — A trio of Palestinian leaders will be in Paris today to decide whether or not to declare Chairman Yasser Arafat incapacitated, Arab News has learned.

The trio consists of the acting chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization Mahmoud Abbas, Prime Minister Ahmad Qorei and Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath.

The move is necessary under the Palestinian Basic Law (constitution) that allows for the president of the Interim Authority to be declared incapable of performing his function on a temporary or permanent basis. The decision must be based on a full medical report by Arafat’s French and other doctors.

According to senior sources Mahmoud Abbas, alias Abu Mazen, is expected to be named as Arafat’s successor as Chairman of the PLO.

A Palestinian official said Abbas and Qorei, overseeing Palestinian affairs in the West Bank and Gaza since Arafat was flown to a hospital near Paris on Oct. 29, decided to go to France so they could be “personally reassured” about his condition.

“He has liver failure. His condition is not improving,” said the official who declined to be named. “One option being considered is moving him to Cairo.”

The official said any decision to move Arafat could be taken only by the Palestinian leadership. He added that a low count of platelets, which help the blood clot, meant blood transfusions were proving difficult. Another Palestinian official said in Paris: “The organs in the lower part of Arafat’s body have not been functioning well. However, his heart and brain are working still.”

Palestinian leaders decided to carry out a plan to restore law and order in the West Bank and Gaza, a government minister said. It was the first major decision they have announced since Arafat left.

Officials said the plan was drafted in March and is more concerned with ending local lawlessness than reining in militants — a long-standing Israeli and international demand.

Cabinet Minister Saeb Erekat said the National Security Council decided to “implement a plan to restore the rule of law in the Palestinian territories.”

The plan calls for more security forces to be deployed. Militants will be banned from carrying arms except when confronting Israel and stopped from intervening in local disturbances.

Qorei came under pressure from the armed factions on Saturday to give them decision-making powers in a temporary unified leadership they want if Arafat dies. He did not say he had agreed.

Egypt said yesterday it was likely to host talks between Palestinian factions to draw up a council for running Palestinian affairs and the peace process with Israel. Spokesmen for two Palestinian factions could not confirm such a meeting.

Mohammad Dahlan, Arafat’s former security chief in Gaza and a close aide, left Paris for the Middle East to confer with Palestinian leaders. Arafat’s wife Suha sent a verbal message with him on coordinating with them on Arafat’s possible movements and burial should he die, a Palestinian official said.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is coming under increasing pressure, especially from army top brass, to resume talks with Abbas.

According to Israeli media, military officials want Sharon to make goodwill gestures to help Abbas and Qorei solidify their grip on power and keep the Palestinian territories from plunging into chaos.

“There is now an opportunity to be seized. They cannot let it slip through their fingers a second time,” a senior Israeli Foreign Ministry official said.

The official was referring to Sharon’s refusal to make any significant concessions to Abbas during his brief stint as Palestinian premier last year. Abbas resigned after four months in office, due to his failure to persuade Arafat to cede control of the Palestinian security services, and the political stalemate with Sharon.