Fatah pays election price for PA’s mistakes, says official

The Secretary-General of the Fatah Central Committee, Jibril Rajoub, has said that “lessons must be learned from the Birzeit University election result.” Rajoub told Palestine TV on Wednesday evening that his party created a positive atmosphere to ensure that the election could take place. He pointed out that Fatah’s student wing, Shabiba, will respect the result.

Some of the movement’s staff may feel angry and frustrated with the results, he explained. “They have a right to be, but the Central Committee will review and study the result and learn lessons from it, but not at the expense of the democratic choice.”

During the interview, Rajoub said that Fatah should not have to pay the price for the Palestinian Authority’s mistakes and that the nature of the relationship between the PA and Fatah must be discussed.

The Yasser Arafat Bloc, Fatah’s student party, won just 18 seats on the student council at the university, compared with the 28 seats won by the Islamic Bloc, the student party of Fatah’s rival, Hamas.

READ: Hamas student bloc wins landslide victory in West Bank university