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The Slow Death of Palestinian Democracy
(Foreign Policy) Jonathan Schanzer - PA Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad's reform agenda had been a constant irritant to PA President Mahmoud Abbas. The two Palestinian leaders have barely been on speaking terms for more than a year. Fayyad opposed Abbas' push at the UN last year for non-member observer state status, insisting that Palestinians would be better served by continuing to build viable institutions. With Fayyad's departure, Abbas seems to have overcome any institutional restraints on his power. He is now four years past the end of his term as president, with no new elections in sight. There is little political freedom in the West Bank these days. The Palestinian president has no political challengers. He has no vice president. He has no heir apparent. And he does not allow for a healthy exchange of political ideas in the public space. The writer is vice president for research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.