Abbas may postpone Palestinian elections again — Jerusalem Post
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas may again postpone elections to the Palestinian Legislative Council scheduled for November. As the Jerusalem Post reports, the leadership of the Fatah movement considers a delay in the vote likely. The elections could end the 16-year period of the legislative council's expired mandate.
Concerns in Fatah
Yoni Ben-Menachem, a senior researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Foreign Affairs and Security, wrote that senior Fatah officials believe the elections may be postponed again. According to him, the reason is concern that the camp of Mohammed Dahlan, the former head of Fatah's security service in Gaza, could gain significant political influence.
Ben-Menachem's sources said that Palestinian Authority Deputy Chairman Hussein al-Sheikh is urging Abbas to postpone the vote. The inability of the Central Elections Commission to hold elections in the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem could be used as a possible justification.
At the same time, European officials insist on holding the elections. According to The National, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot is expected to ask the European Union to send a mission to observe the vote. Last year, Abbas promised to hold elections as part of an agreement with France and 10 other countries on recognizing a Palestinian state.
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Dahlan's contacts with Hamas
Last month, Dahlan held talks with Hamas in Cairo. According to the Jerusalem Post, he seeks to unite Palestinian factions, including Hamas. Ben-Menachem believes this could open the way for Hamas and its allies to gain significant political influence or help create a new center of power outside Abbas's control.
The expert also noted that elections to the legislative council could become a kind of referendum on the Palestinian Authority and its leadership. Administration officials who spoke with Ben-Menachem called internal reconciliation within divided Fatah the real test. Last weekend, al-Sheikh and Jibril Rajoub met as part of efforts to overcome the split within the movement.
Professor at the Institute for National Security Studies Kobi Michael said Abbas has reasons to seek a postponement of the vote because of the recent contacts between Dahlan and Hamas. In his view, a third political force could be more popular than Fatah and Hamas. Presidential elections are scheduled for next year.
