TUNIS, Nov 11 (AFP) - Faruq Qaddumi, propelled by Yasser Arafat's death to the head of the Fatah, the dominant Palestinian faction that he co-founded with Arafat 45 years ago, is one of the late leader's oldest comrades-in-arms.
Qaddumi, the long-time politburo chief of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, joined Arafat in seeking refuge in Tunisia, where the PLO was based from 1982, after being expelled from Lebanon.
But the two men went their separate ways in 1994. Qaddumi stayed behind in Tunis when Arafat and the rest of the Palestinian leadership ended their exile and returned to the Palestinian territories.
The 73-year-old Fatah deputy leader and member of the PLO executive committee has been a consistent opponent of the Oslo peace accords, which ushered in the Palestinian Authority, and voted against the PLO and Israel's mutual recognition.
Known for being better at speaking than fighting, the Qaddumi took up the reins of Palestinian diplomacy in 1974 and was the voice of the Palestinian cause abroad for nearly 20 years.
His critics describe him as anachronistic, with Palestinian Authority foreign minister Nabil Shaath overshadowing him at the regional and international levels in recent years.
Born on August 18, 1931 in Kaffer-Qaddum in the West Bank, Qaddumi, also known by his nom de guerre of Abu Lotf, comes from a well-to-do family.
He left his birthplace in 1948, beginning a tour of several Arab countries. His first political act was in Syria, when he joined the Baath party in 1949. The party was dissolved nearly a decade later, following the short-lived union of Syria and Egypt.
Throughout his career, Qaddumi has kept up special links with Syria, where he is respected, and meets Syrian leaders because of the sincerity and the consistency of his positions, his aides say.
He always tries to refrain from comment or to tone down differences within his faction, placing Palestinian unity above all else. As a result, he has won esteem even among rival Fatah factions.
His wife, Nabila Rashef Nemr, from a notable family in the West Bank town of Nablus, is a member of the Fatah Revolutionary Council and has had a seat on the Palestinian National Council.
Their two sons, Lotf and Rami, are both graduates of US universities.
Qaddumi was one of the first senior Palestinian leaders to visit the French military hospital where Arafat spent his final days.
He also strongly criticised Arafat's wife, Suha, who accused his top lieutenants of allegedly trying to bury him alive.
11/11/2004 15:36 GMT - AFP