(Ha'aretz) Amira Hass - In Ramallah Thursday evening, no air of mourning could be sensed. "True, people feel no connection to Arafat," confirms Dr. Saleh Abd Al-Jawad, from the department of political science at Bir Zeit University. Abd Al-Jawad is concerned that elements within Fatah will act to sabotage elections, in order to preserve their economic and political interests. There is also concern about the weakness of Abu Mazen [Mahmoud Abbas], the leader who is establishing himself as heir. "He does, in fact, want to improve peoples' lives, and is one of Fatah's founders, but his agenda is not one of national liberation. He is old and unwell," says Al-Jawad.
2004-11-05 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive