(BBC News) Jon Donnison - As Arab uprisings spread across the Middle East, Palestinian leaders face their own crisis of legitimacy. PA leader Mahmoud Abbas' mandate expired more than two years ago, but he remains in power. Parliamentary elections were cancelled in 2010 and are now over a year late. The parliament in Ramallah has not passed a law for more than three years. Palestinians remain politically and geographically split - with the Islamist Hamas in power in Gaza and Fatah running the West Bank. "After Egypt and Tunisia, God knows who might be next," joked Mr. Abbas in a speech in Ramallah last week. "Don't laugh. It might be me."
2011-02-24 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive