New alliances confuse Fatah... and the postponement of elections returns to the forefront

Press sources revealed that the option of postponing or canceling the Palestinian legislative elections has returned to the forefront within the Fatah movement, amid political and organizational complexities. The circle close to President Mahmoud Abbas is considering the possibility of postponement, claiming there is no clear mechanism for holding elections in occupied Jerusalem.

Press sources revealed that the option of postponing or canceling the Palestinian legislative elections has returned to the forefront within the Fatah movement in recent days, under the slogan "No elections without Jerusalem." The circle close to President Mahmoud Abbas is considering the possibility of postponing the elections, claiming there is no clear mechanism for conducting the electoral process in occupied Jerusalem, in light of the lack of a response from the Israeli occupation. Abbas's rejection of the option of holding elections electronically in Jerusalem represents an obstacle, as it requires an amendment to the election law and the issuance of a new presidential decree. This proposal revives the scenario of the 2021 elections, when the leadership decided to postpone the elections and linked them to the participation of Jerusalemites. The developments come after the announcement of an electoral alliance that includes Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Popular Resistance Committees, the Democratic Reform Current in Fatah, and the National Democratic Assembly, further complicating the scene for Fatah. Fatah had bet on these forces not participating, but the announcement of their participation disrupted the calculations. In another file, Fatah's contacts with the current of prisoner Marwan Barghouti have not made progress, as his current seeks to focus on the presidential elections. Last Thursday, Tayseer al-Bardini was appointed deputy secretary of the Central Committee, while the name of the secretary has not yet been decided.