Opposing elections for the first time in 15 years, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is fighting a growing movement within his powerful Fatah party that is a threat new to his presidency of Palestinian politics.
A bankruptcy deal by one of Abbas’s party allies has sparked intense speculation that he could postpone a planned primary vote for July, fearing a possible challenge by Marwan Barghouti, Fatah’s leader who serving five life sentences in Israel for terrorist activity.
Abbas’ s office denies any plans to delay or scrap the main vote.
Barghouti, now 61, was at the center of the 2000-2005 Palestinian uprising in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. He was sentenced by an Israeli court in 2004 to life in prison after being convicted of multiple deadly attacks on Israelis by Palestinian terrorists. Barghouti has always denied the allegations.
Abbas, 85, has ruled the Palestinian Authority in autonomous areas of the West Bank by order for more than a decade.
In January, he announced the primary and legislative ballots – a move that was largely seen as a response to domestic and Western criticism of the democratic legitimacy of his presidency.
Adding to that criticism is Nasser al-Qudwa, a longtime member of the Fatah Central Committee who announced last week that he was creating a new list that would run separately from Fatah in May legislative election.
“[Palestinians] they are seven bitter of the current situation … insider conduct or misconduct, things like lack of rule of law, lack of equality, lack of fairness, “said Qudwa, son of sister of the late Fatah founder and Palestine Liberation Group director Yasser Arafat.
4 צפייה בגלריה
Marwan Barghouti’s movements when he was handed over by Israeli police to Tel Aviv District Court in 2004
(Photo: Reuters)
Leaders on 19-member Central Committee members rarely break up in public with Abbas.
Qudwa, 67, said he hoped his list would be led by Barghouti, who was long floating as a potential Abbas follower.
Barghouti has not said whether he will join the list or run in the primary ballot. He and his lawyer declined a request to be interviewed.
But opinion polls suggest he would win comfortably against Abbas and leaders from Hamas, the Islamic movement that took control of Gaza from Fatah in 2007.
Aides to Abbas points to the split with Hamas as it contributed to the long delay in holding new elections.
Abbas has tried to resolve the disorder by sending a loyalist to visit Barghouti in prison and, through emissaries, preaching party unity after Qudwa announced his new list.
“Fatah, with strength and power, will run united in the forthcoming democratic elections to strengthen democracy, sustain the national freedom project and defend Palestinian national unity,” Hbassein al-Sheikh, Abbas’s civil affairs minister, wrote on Facebook.
Palestinian officials have privately questioned how Barghouti would contest the jail elections and what would happen if he won. Any move to free him is likely to ignite a political fire in Israel.
Two Western diplomats told Reuters that European countries were urging Abbas not to reconsider his election promise.
“He’s worried [Abbas] there may be a middle ground in allowing the legislative elections to go ahead, but postponing or postponing the primary election, “said one.
Abbas is expected to call a meeting of the Fatah Central Committee on Monday, where he is expected to formally exercise control of Qudwa.
Qudwa said he does not plan to attend committee meetings.
It was not immediately clear what support the Qudwa list would receive. Around 250 Palestinians came in for a Zoom conference call he held last week to announce the move.
As a result of the last Palestinian parliamentary ballot, in 2006, Hamas’ main rival Fatah won a landslide victory. That created unrest that intensified when the terrorist group took control of Gaza from the Fatah-led PA in a bloody internecine battle two years after Israel withdrew from the territory.
The elections are part of a broader effort to negotiate between Fatah and Hamas, which is seen as important to build broad support for any future state talks with Israel, frozen since 2014.
Party lists for the statutory ballot are due by 20 March.