BICOM

Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad suffered a heart attack while on a visit to Austin, Texas in the United States. Palestinian spokesperson Jamal Zakout said yesterday that Fayyad underwent a catheterisation and is listed in a stable condition in a hospital in Austin. Fayyad was attending his son’s university graduation at the time.

As Prime Minister, Fayyad, a former World Bank economist, has been praised for his work in building up Palestinian institutions. Meanwhile, under the new Fatah-Hamas unity deal, it is unclear whether Fayyad will continue in the role of prime minister that he has held since 2007. Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram reported last Wednesday that Fayyad had been ruled out as a candidate for the transitional Palestinian unity government. Fayyad’s supporters say his standing abroad is a major asset to the Palestinians, as they aim to seek recognition of their statehood from the UN General Assembly in September.