Thirty-two local Fatah leaders, constituting the young guard of the dominant Palestinian faction in the West Bank, resigned their posts on Thursday in protest at alleged mismanagement by senior members. The walkout was cast as a bid to jolt Fatah into reforms needed to maintain its appeal to Palestinians, many of whom have been drawn to the rival Islamist faction Hamas spearheading a more than 4-year-old uprising against Israel. "Thirty-two young guard leaders from the West Bank have resigned collectively to protest the mismanagement of the movement by the (executive Fatah) Central Committee," Hussein Al-Sheikh, who was among those who quit, told Reuters.Hamas did not run in Palestinian presidential elections in the West Bank and Gaza Strip last January, making for an easy win by moderate Fatah veteran Mahmoud Abbas. But a strong showing by Hamas in local polls suggests it could enjoy major gains in parliamentary elections set for July. "The young guard have decided to take the initiative to salvage Fatah," said another leader in the walkout, Ahmed Ghneim. "Otherwise Hamas will take over in upcoming legislative elections just as it did in the municipal elections in Gaza. This step is not aimed at confronting the old guard, rather it is an attempt to save Fatah from disintegration."
"The old guards have to take responsibility for Fatah's weakness and failure in the municipal elections," another Fatah official taking part in the protest said. Among those who resigned their faction posts were Fatah lawmakers Mohammad Hourani, Qadoura Faris, and Hatem Abdel-Qader, although they kept their Parliament seats. By challenging the Fatah old guard, the rebels aimed to unite the young guards behind Abbas and his efforts to hold together a cease-fire declared last month with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and advance Palestinian statehood hopes.