A senior leader who is seen as the frontrunner to succeed President Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine is likely to visit India next week.
Mohammad Mustafa, CEO of the Palestine Investment Fund (PIF), will prepare the ground for a mid-year visit by Mr. Abbas, besides increasing his own familiarity with the leading figures in politics and business, diplomatic sources told The Hindu .
“The main reason for the visit is the ‘Make in India’ week in Mumbai, but in view of his powerful status in the West Bank of Palestine, we are treating Dr. Mustafa’s visit as political,” an official said. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met Dr. Mustafa during her visit to Ramallah on November 17 last.
Officials said Dr. Mustafa’s visit showed early signs of a race for succession to the post of President of the Palestinian Authority.
Mr. Abbas, 81, who took office in 2005, is already in his third four-year term. In the last few years, various names have been doing the rounds. Dr. Mustafa, who was the Deputy Prime Minister as well as the Economy Minister, resigned from the posts in 2015.
Dr. Mustafa, a finance professional with experience of working in the World Bank, is said to enjoy the support of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the western countries, and his technocratic image sets him up against the likes of the jailed freedom fighter Marwan Barghouti and the Hamas leadership of the Gaza Strip.
