(Middle East Quarterly) Barry Rubin- The problem is not just that Arafat has not designated a successor. It is that he has blocked the development of anybody who could be a successor and has crippled the creation of institutions that could provide for a smooth transition, promote the development of a new leader, mediate disputes among competing candidates, or check the power of a future dictator. A Palestinian official once said, "Egyptian politics is like the pyramid: President Husni Mubarak is at the top, and there's a very wide base. Syrian politics is like the Eiffel Tower: President Hafez al-Assad [today his son, Bashar] is at the top, and there are a few people on each level. Palestinian politics is the shape of Yasser Arafat: Yasser Arafat is Palestinian politics and that's all there is to it."
2004-08-06 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive