Saeb Erekat has been a negotiating aide to Palestinian leaders for two decades Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat, who led several rounds of peace talks with Israel, has told the BBC he has handed in his resignation.Mr Erekat has previously promised to quit if it emerged that secret files recently leaked on the Middle East peace process had come from his office.
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has yet to accept; it is not the first time Mr Erekat has offered to stand down.
Meanwhile, an Abbas aide said elections would be held by September.
In January the al-Jazeera TV network released details of some 1,600 confidential documents detailing Palestinian negotiating positions.
The files suggested the Palestinians were ready to make big concessions, despite public claims to the contrary.
In response, Mr Erekat admitted some of the material appeared genuine, and said the release by al-Jazeera had put his life in danger.
News that Palestinians are preparing to hold presidential and parliamentary elections would mean the first polls for five years.
The last time the Palestinians voted, in 2006, Hamas emerged as the biggest winner in a parliamentary ballot.
Their success led to bitter splits within Palestinian politics that eventually saw Hamas take control of the Gaza Strip, while Mr Abbas' Fatah faction runs the West Bank.
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