United Nations
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Saeb Erekat, secretary general of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), on Monday dismissed reports that the Palestinian Authority (PA) has abandoned its request for a vote at the UN Security Council on a resolution rejecting the US administration’s so-called “Deal of the Century”.

"Reports that the resolution promoted by the Arab Group and the non-aligned movement has been withdrawn are unfounded," he said, according to the official PA news agency WAFA.

"The draft resolution has been distributed and still being circulated. We are continuing the process of consultation with various countries in a way that doesn’t contradict the principles of the resolution," he added.

Erekat, who arrived in New York with PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas, added, "We would like to note that the draft resolution is not yet in blueprint, or ready to be voted."

He said that Abbas is going to address the Security Council on Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. New York time (5:00 p.m. in Israel).

Erekat added that reports about withdrawing the draft resolution are part of "a vicious war launched against President Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian leadership and the national project."

He stressed that President Abbas is going to deliver his speech as planned and that rumors about postponing it are unfounded.

Diplomats said earlier on Monday that the PA abandoned its request for a vote on the resolution due to a lack of international support.

Introduced by Indonesia and Tunisia, the resolution risked not having nine out of 15 votes in its favor, the minimum required for adoption provided there is no veto by a permanent member, the diplomats told AFP.

The resolution, according to reports on Sunday, was softened from its original wording and has dropped its initial condemnation of the Trump peace plan.

US President Donald Trump released his long-delayed peace proposals two weeks ago but they were immediately rejected by the PA.

Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner, who was a member of the team which authored the peace plan, briefed Security Council members on the plan in a closed-door meeting last week.