Erekat: "Palestine" would still be subsidiary to the PLO

PLO negotiator Saeb Erekat says that a declaration of a Palestinian Arab state would not affect the status of the PLO as "the sole legitimate representative for the Palestinian people."

He says that the PLO is the only party that can negotiate for "Palestine" - even after "Palestine" is established.

According to Erekat, the statehood demand next month will be submitted by Mahmoud Abbas to the Security Council in his capacity as Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization as well as President of the State of Palestine, but the PLO will remain the mandate-holder in the final negotiations, including all final-status issues like "refugees," water, land and Jerusalem.

It is far from clear that he is saying that the PLO would be dissolved after negotiations.

So any Palestinian Arab state that would be declared next month would be perhaps the first state ever recognized that was run by a private organization.