Fatah officials urge Abbas to postpone January 25 election

Mahmoud Abbas is under growing pressure from his Fatah Party to postpone the January 25 parliament election amid fears about a possible Hamas victory, an aide to the Palestinian leader said today.

Abbas is reluctant to delay the vote without Hamas’ consent, the aide said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he is not authorised to discuss the issue with reporters. Hamas has insisted that the election be held on time.

Abbas plans to raise the issue in a meeting with Egyptian intelligence Omar Suleiman, who is visiting the West Bank tomorrow, the aide said. Egyptian officials said Suleiman’s main mission is to prop up an Israeli-Palestinian truce following a new flare-up on the Gaza-Israel border.

However, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said there was no chance Abbas would agree. “Postponing the election would be a disaster for the Palestinian people. Abu Mazen is determined to carry out this election as scheduled on the 25th of January, and I totally agree with him,” he said, referring to Abbas by his nickname.

In recent weeks, Fatah has been increasingly concerned about Hamas’ growing political clout. However, two events last week heightened fears of a Hamas victory: Fatah split after a power struggle between the old and young guards, and Hamas swept municipal elections in several West Bank towns.

“Fatah is in trouble,” Hisham Abdel Razek, an outgoing Cabinet minister from Fatah, said at a political conference today.

“Fatah needs a chance to prepare for the election, and that means we cannot hold the election on January 25.”