Palestinian Authority's Abbas pressed to support Dahlan as successor
RAMALLAH — Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has been
urged to support a former Fatah security chief as his successor.
Palestinian sources said Abbas has come under pressure from senior Fatah
members to support Mohammed Dahlan as the next PA chairman, Middle East Newsline reported. They said the
pressure has come from members of the Fatah Central Committee, to which
Dahlan was elected, as well as the Gaza contingent of the ruling movement.
"They've been meeting Abbbas and telling him that he [Dahlan] is the
right choice," a Palestinian source said.
Some Fatah activists have been openly promoting Dahlan as successor to
Abbas. On Dec. 8, Dahlan's poster was placed next to that of Abbas during a
Fatah seminar in the West Bank town of Jenin.
"This is the first time that a Palestinian president's portrait was
placed next to somebody other than a head of state," another Palestinian
source said.
The sources said Dahlan has amassed power since his election to the
Fatah Central Committee in August 2009. They said Dahlan has been touring
the West Bank and distributing funds to Fatah-aligned institutions and
supporters.
Dahlan has been the only Fatah figure not to have urged Abbas to remain
in office. Instead, Dahlan has said Abbas could be replaced with a range of
what he termed qualified candidates.
"The Fatah movement is not tied to one person," Dahlan said.
The sources said Dahlan was also playing a major role in the PA
crackdown on Hamas in the West Bank. The PA has arrested scores of Hamas
operatives throughout the West Bank, including students, union members and
clerics.