RAMALLAH - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas scrambled on Thursday to heal a split in his ruling Fatah party after young dissidents dealt him a serious blow less than six weeks before parliamentary elections.
| All the king's horses, and all the king's men ... |
Defying Abbas, a younger generation of Fatah leaders led by jailed firebrand Marwan Barghouthi announced on Wednesday night they were running for parliament on a competing ticket, triggering one of the gravest crises in Fatahâs 40-year history.
| Like re-heating a soufflé ... |
The official Fatah list presented with Abbasâs approval included Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei, a former Yasser Arafat loyalist. Qorei resigned on Thursday, as required by law for cabinet members running for parliament. There was no immediate word on who would replace him.
The rebels launched what was seen as a bold bid to shake up the partyâs old guard leadership and fend off Hamas, which is contesting its first legislative election on Jan. 25.
| Trying to put the jinn back into the bottle ... |
Fatah officials began contacts to unify their party, long the dominant force in Palestinian politics. Abbas spoke overnight by phone to Barghouthi, serving five life terms in Israel over militant attacks during the Palestinian uprising, and they agreed to further discussions. Barghouthiâs supporters believe he could be freed in a future peace deal.
âWe will employ every damage-control mechanism to avoid Fatahâs division,â Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said.
| About as likely as tickets to the Beatles reunion. |
The dissidents, unhappy about not getting enough slots on the Fatah ticket, registered their own list before the Wednesday deadline but insisted they were not quitting Fatah. Fatahâs younger generation has voiced fears that continued domination by the old guard, widely viewed as tainted by corruption and cronyism, will benefit Hamas. |