Dubai: In a move that further escalated tension between Hamas and Fatah, one of the bodies of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation yesterday adopted a resolution supporting the President's call for early elections, a step Hamas has already slammed and analysts described as "impractical".
As anticipated, the 115-member Palestinian Central Council endorsed a decision on July 12 backing the call of President Mahmoud Abbas to hold early parliamentary and presidential elections. Hamas opposes new parliamentary elections and accuses Abbas of over-stepping all legislative authorities.
"Early elections are an attempt to bypass the will of the Palestinian people and the attempt is bound to fail. It will fail. We, the Palestinian people, will scupper it," Mahmoud Zahar, a former foreign minister in the Hamas cabinet, was quoted as saying during a press conference in Gaza.
Zahar lashed out against Abbas, accusing him of conspiring with Israel against his people and saying he was not worthy of being a president. "Can a man who allies with the enemy against his people remain the president of these people?" Zahar asked.
Political chaos
In response to Abbas's call to punish Hamas, which he denounced for the "coup" in Gaza, Musheer Al Masri, head of Hamas bloc in Parliament, said: "Who needs to be punished? [It is] the one who overturned the results of the elections ... and created the political chaos."
The Central Council "doesn't represent the Palestinian people", Al Masri added in an interview with Gulf News. Abbas's accusations against Hamas are meant to "justify the decisions he is taking", Mousa Abu Marzouk, deputy head of politbureau, told Gulf News.
"We believe [Abbas] wants to break his earlier promise of not seeking a second term before his presidential mandate expires. He has the right to hold presidential elections. As for parliamentary [polls], we don't think it is the right time," Abu Marzouk added.
Palestinian analysts said Abbas needs to amend the elections laws to be able to hold early parliamentary elections in the West Bank without including Gaza Strip in the election process.
Abbas announced he would change the electoral system. Analysts believe one possibility is to allow the Palestinians in the West Bank to vote for parties, and parliament seats be apportioned according to the percentage of votes each party receives.
Pressure tactics
At the same time, analysts are not sure whether Abbas actually intends to hold early elections or seeks to weaken Hamas by calling early elections.
"Practically, it is difficult to hold elections at present," said political analyst Ali Jarbawi. He is also a former secretary-general of the 2006 elections committee. Abbas "can call for elections after a certain time and leave the issue for Hamas to derail, and by doing so, he would be scoring political points against it", pointed out Jarbawi.
As the wall between Hamas and Fatah gets higher and higher, possibilities of the two parties sitting at the negotiation table seem to be the last solution and not the first. "Whoever calls for dialogue, in my opinion, is disillusioned," believes Jarbawi, who teaches political science at Beir Zeit University in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
"The solution lies in forming a cabinet of Independents, that will take decisions and measures accepted by both sides," he added.
- With additional inputs from AP