(Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies-Tel Aviv University) Shlomo Brom - Suspicions are being voiced that the delay in the Palestinian Legislative Council elections is due to the desire of leading figures in Fatah, Abu Mazen's own party, to gain a few months' grace in order to put their house in order and improve their chances of winning. Fatah's image among Palestinians is very negative and it is currently torn by internal power struggles. Hamas, unlike Fatah, is seen to have "clean hands." Hamas has thus far boycotted the PA as a by-product of the despised Oslo Agreements and it has therefore not been contaminated by involvement in the day-to-day management of PA affairs. Instead, Hamas, like other Islamist movements, has maintained its own network of social welfare agencies that provide educational, health, and charity services to the needy and reinforce its image as a decent alternative to the regime. The circle supporting Abu Mazen within Fatah estimates that it needs several months to carry out the necessary internal reforms and get rid of the corrupt "Tunisians" (those who came with Arafat from Tunis). They also assume that a few more months of peace and quiet will bring about perceptible improvements in living standards and that these, along with implementation of the Israeli disengagement, will enhance Fatah's popularity.
2005-06-06 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive