Ruling Fatah party picks Abbas as presidential candidate

The ruling Fatah movement chose interim Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas as its candidate for January’s presidential election last night, but Fatah rebels said they would challenge the decision.

Some members of Fatah’s young guard are pushing for Marwan Barghouti, an uprising leader jailed by Israel, as the movement’s candidate to replace Yasser Arafat, arguing that the popular Barghouti has a better chance to win.

Barghouti’s wife, Fadwa, said her husband would decide early next week whether to run as an independent.

Abbas, 69, represents the older group of politicians who returned with Yasser Arafat from exile in 1994, while Barghouti, 45, leads the Fatah activists who grew up in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

The outcome of the power struggle between the younger and older generation could well determine who the next Palestinian leader is.

Arafat held three top jobs – PLO chief, leader of Fatah and president of the Palestinian Authority.

Immediately after his death, Abbas was chosen as PLO chief. If he is also elected as Palestinian Authority president, he would be transformed from interim leader to Arafat’s successor.

The decision to nominate Abbas was made last night by 13 members of Fatah’s Central Committee, which is dominated by the old guard.

Palestinian Cabinet minister Qadoura Fares, a Barghouti loyalist, said the Fatah candidate should be chosen in a much larger forum. However, other members of the young guard said they are ready to recognise Abbas.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath urged Barghouti not to run. “I think Marwan Barghouti is a disciplined man. He is committed to the decisions of Fatah,” Shaath said. “Marwan will have an important role in the future.”

Barghouti is serving five consecutive life terms for what an Israeli court said was his involvement in shooting attacks that killed four Israelis and a Greek monk. Barghouti, a former Fatah leader in the West Bank, has denied a role in the attacks.

Israel has said it would not release Barghouti.

Abbas served as Arafat’s first prime minister in 2003. However, he resigned after just four months in power, frustrated with Israeli policy and Arafat’s refusal to grant him real power.

Several other potential challengers to Abbas have emerged, including a billionaire industrialist and anti-corruption campaigners.