Fatah leaders at odds regarding general elections

Senior Fatah leaders are still divided regarding whether or not to postpone the upcoming Palestinian elections, the Lebanese Al-Akhbar newspaper revealed yesterday.

A group of Fatah leaders, including Fatah Secretary Jibril Rajoub, are still in favour of carrying out the elections, while another group, including Intelligence Chief Majed Faraj and head of Fatah’s Parliamentarian Bloc Azzam Al-Ahmad, insist on the elections being postponed, they believe carrying out the elections at this point enhances Rajoub’s chances of succeeding incumbent President Mahmoud Abbas.

Meanwhile, 85-year-old Abbas is considering postponing the ballots because his movement is expected to be defeated against Hamas.

Fatah leaders believe Hamas will win a majority in parliament because of the internal division within Fatah as three electoral lists are running under its name, in addition to the list loyal to dismissed Fatah leader Mohammad Dahlan.

Dahlan is expected to garner a large number of Fatah’s votes.

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