Ramallah, Jan 19 (IANS): Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas was unanimously supported by the Fatah party's central committee to continue as chairman of Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and Fatah Movement.

During a meeting held in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Tuesday, Abbas gained the full confidence of the Fatah central committee to take the helm of the state of Palestine, Xinhua reported citing the Palestinian official news agency WAFA.

Abbas, 86, is the chairman of the PLO executive committee, chairman of the Fatah central committee, and the president of the state of Palestine. He was elected in January 2005 as the chairman of the Palestinian Authority.

The decision will be presented for voting before the PLO Central Council, which is scheduled to be held in Ramallah during the first week of February.

Meanwhile, an official statement said that the Fatah central committee nominated Rawhi Fattouh, a member of the committee, to be the speaker of the Palestinian National Council, the legislative body of the PLO.

Fattouh will succeed Salim Za'noon, 88, the current speaker