(AP/Washington Post) A power struggle is brewing in the ruling Fatah party ahead of the Jan. 9 election. Elder statesman Mahmoud Abbas, 69, the establishment candidate, has been picked to lead the PLO and plans to run for president, but he does not have the following Arafat did. With Arafat gone, younger Palestinians, who have long felt underrepresented in the main Fatah decision-making bodies, are considering a challenge. In addition, Monib al-Masri, 66, a billionaire industrialist and longtime friend of Arafat, is considering running. "We need a man who can take care of our economic growth," al-Masri said.
2004-11-17 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive