RAMALLAH // Municipal elections scheduled for next month in the West Bank have been postponed because of the Fatah movement's continuing internal disarray, a leading analyst said yesterday.
Diana Buttu, a Ramallah-based analyst and a former legal adviser to the PLO, dismissed claims by Fatah that the delay was due to the faltering reconciliation process with its rival, Hamas.
Having failed to agree on a comprehensive list of candidates to stand in the elections, Fatah feared low voter turnout and a potential setback to smaller parties, Ms Buttu said.
With presidential and parliamentary elections due this year having already been postponed because of the continued division between Gaza and the West Bank and their respective rulers, Hamas and Fatah, local elections had been seen as one way for Palestinians to have their say.
However, with municipal elections planned for the West Bank only, and in the absence of a national reconciliation agreement, Hamas cried foul and withdrew from the running in April. That should have left Fatah to clean up in the July 17 local polls, but even without serious competition, it seems the Fatah faithful remains divided.
The decision was announced on Friday by the Palestinian government. Officially, the reason was that Hamas had withdrawn and to give a chance for Fatah-Hamas reconciliation talks.
But since the decision to postpone was made, six weeks after Hamas decided not to run, representatives from Hamas and smaller political parties have rejected the official explanation and accused Fatah of forcing the postponement because the party had failed to agree on nominations in key districts, including Hebron and Nablus, where Hamas traditionally does well.
Indeed, so incensed were the smaller parties, who may have seen an opportunity to capitalise on Fatah's divisions and Hamas's absence, that a sit-down strike was called on Sunday in front of the office of Salam Fayyad, the Palestinian prime minister, whose office announced the postponement.
However, an official close to Mr Fayyad's government said the decision, while taken by the government, had been reached after a request from the office of Mr Abbas and came because "Fatah was unable to get its act together".
Sufiyan Abu Zeideh, a member of Fatah's revolutionary council and a former minister, maintained that the decision to postpone elections was "very sad".
He said one reason was indeed the official explanation that Hamas's decision not to contend the elections had been crucial. However, he added, he "couldn't rule out" that another reason was Fatah's inability to agree on a list of nominees.
Such party incoherence should have been a thing of the past. Fatah's much touted Sixth General Conference in August last year was billed as the moment Mr Abbas's party began acting as one. Mr Abu Zeideh, however, said in reality little had changed within Fatah.
"Unfortunately, nothing has happened since the Sixth Conference. That is a fact."
Analysts, meanwhile, decried the decision as a step backward for Palestinian democracy and, by extension, hopes for national liberation.
"The issue of Palestine at its core is a struggle for democracy, the idea that Palestinians choose their own leaders, not the Israelis, not the international community," said Ms Buttu. "That we ourselves would cancel an election is another dangerous slide."
Ms Buttu argued that Fatah decided to postpone elections for fear of losing, voter apathy and a concern that running municipal elections without Hamas would put a question mark over the vote's legitimacy.
Hamas, meanwhile, had decided not to run because they too feared a poor result, she said.
"Everything is caught up in the reconciliation process between Fatah and Hamas," said Ms Buttu, chances for which, she added, are as "remote as ever".
Among a group of labourers working on one of the many new buildings going up in Ramallah, little surprise was shown yesterday at the decision to postpone the municipal elections.
"Why should we be shocked?" said Mustafa, 24, who commutes every day to work from a nearby village. "We live under occupation. And those who lead us are divided and have all failed to secure our freedom."
okarmi@thenational.ae
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
COMPANY PROFILE
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● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Huroob Ezterari
Director: Ahmed Moussa
Starring: Ahmed El Sakka, Amir Karara, Ghada Adel and Moustafa Mohammed
Three stars
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
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How The Debt Panel's advice helped readers in 2019
December 11: 'My husband died, so what happens to the Dh240,000 he owes in the UAE?'
JL, a housewife from India, wrote to us about her husband, who died earlier this month. He left behind an outstanding loan of Dh240,000 and she was hoping to pay it off with an insurance policy he had taken out. She also wanted to recover some of her husband’s end-of-service liabilities to help support her and her son.
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MS, an energy sector employee from South Africa, left the UAE in August after losing his Dh12,000 job. He was struggling to meet the repayments while securing a new position in the UAE and feared he would be detained if he returned. He has now secured a new job and will return to the Emirates this month.
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Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
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At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253
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The Beach Bum
Director: Harmony Korine
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Isla Fisher, Snoop Dogg
Two stars
JAPANESE GRAND PRIX INFO
Schedule (All times UAE)
First practice: Friday, 5-6.30am
Second practice: Friday, 9-10.30am
Third practice: Saturday, 7-8am
Qualifying: Saturday, 10-11am
Race: Sunday, 9am-midday
Race venue: Suzuka International Racing Course
Circuit Length: 5.807km
Number of Laps: 53
Watch live: beIN Sports HD
India squads
T20: Rohit Sharma (c), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Krunal Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Rahul Chahar, Deepak Chahar, Khaleel Ahmed, Shivam Dube, Shardul Thakur
Test: Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
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