Palestinians elect Mahmoud Abbas

Mahmoud Abbas was elected Palestinian Authority president Sunday.

Here's what he said on June 11, 1998:

On the Palestinian Covenant:

"...The [Palestinian] National Council did not vote to annul
the [Palestinian] Covenant, but rather announced its
readiness to change the Covenant under certain terms. If the
terms are met, it will be amended. Otherwise, the Covenant
will remain as is. The Covenant has yet to be changed, and
this is better understood by the enemy than by our own
people...."

--- Secretary General of the Arab Liberation Front Mahmoud
'Abbas, otherwise known as Abu 'Abbas. The Israel-PLO
Accords of 1993 required the Palestinian National Council
to amend the Covenant, which calls for Israel's destruction,
with no further conditions attached.
(Al-Bilad, 11 June 1998. Translation courtesy of MEMRI.)