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The Palestinians: Who's Afraid of Elections?

(Hudson Institute-New York) Khaled Abu Toameh - The Palestinian government in the West Bank surprised Palestinians by announcing that municipal elections, slated for July 17, have been called off indefinitely. The real reason behind the cancellation is Abbas' fear that his ruling Fatah faction would suffer a humiliating defeat, after Fatah leaders failed to agree on the candidates who would represent them in the election. Many Fatah members threatened to run as independents or as representatives of their clans - one of the reasons Fatah lost the last two votes: the municipal election in 2005 and the parliamentary election in 2006. The decision to call off the election is a blow to U.S. efforts to prepare the Palestinians for statehood. The U.S. continues to believe that Abbas and Fatah are credible peace partners who would one day be able to deliver a peace treaty. But a party that cannot even hold a municipal election should not be treated as a real partner to anything. Fatah continues to be dominated by most of the figures that were responsible for its defeat in the last two elections. This is the reason why Fatah is unlikely to win any election in the foreseeable future. Those who are negotiating with Fatah as a peace partner need to absorb this fact.
2010-06-17 10:58:31
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