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An Election Fiasco Leaves the Palestinian Government Weaker than Ever
(Washington Post) Editorial - Since 2007, Gaza has been controlled by the Islamists of Hamas, which refuses to recognize Israel or renounce violence, while in the West Bank, the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, has repeatedly turned aside peace initiatives. Abbas opposes violence and has cooperated with Israel to keep the West Bank mostly peaceful. Otherwise, his rule has been a disaster. Elected to a four-year term as president in 2005, he has remained in office and ruled by decree for the past decade, presiding over an increasingly corrupt and unpopular regime. In January, he called for elections for the Palestinian legislature and presidency, but indefinitely postponed the elections last Thursday as polls showed he could lose the presidency. Neighboring Arab states and the U.S. were quietly relieved; none wished to risk a Hamas takeover of the West Bank. Yet Abbas' retreat will likely leave him weaker and less popular than ever - and the Palestinians still stuck with a failed political system.