| Meet the old guard, same as... ummm... the old guard. |
Convinced that former Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas is unable to unite the Palestinians, several members of the so-called "old guard" are preparing to announce their candidacy for the presidency in next January's elections. After four days of intense talks with all factions Abbas has failed to secure the level of support he needs to discourage others from standing.
| I actually consider that a good development... |
Both Hamas and Islamic Jihad have said unless the Palestine Liberation Organization is allowed to continue pushing Israel into the sea restructured to include them on the basis of a new program, they would boycott the election. The two radical groups, especially well entrenched in Gaza, are believed to have the support of between 25 and 40 percent of the electorate. Some of the old guard in Yasser Arafat's Fatah organization are trying to launch the candidacy of Hani Al Hassan, one of the founding fathers of the movement. They believe that Hassan, who has been ambivalent toward peace talks with Israel, might be able to draw support from both Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
Abbas has won the support of most members of the current government headed by Prime Minister Ahmad Qorei. Muhammad Dahlan, the charismatic former security chief in Gaza, who had presidential aspirations of his own, also backs him. The biggest threat to Abbas' candidacy could come from Marwan Barghouti, the imprisoned militant leader who is seen by many as Palestine's "Nelson Mandela." The Israeli authorities have said they would not release Barghouti, thus trying to kill his electoral prospects. |