On June 10, the PA announced the cancellation of municipal elections, Middle East Newsline reported.
Officials said the decision, urged by Arab states, was meant to help ease
Fatah tension with Hamas, which had declared a boycott of the elections.
"In addition to giving reconciliation its due efforts, there were other
reasons behind the postponement," former PA Jerusalem Affairs Minister Hatem
Abdul Khader said.
Abdul Khader said the Fatah leadership failed to honor its pledge to
promote younger members as municipal candidates. He said Fatah selected
tribal leaders as candidates for town and village councils, particularly in
Hebron, the most populated city in the West Bank.
"They [tribal candidates] were more loyal to their families than Fatah,"
Abdul Khader said.
The sources said Fatah leaders were receiving reports of members
cooperating with Hamas to undermine the elections. They said the rank and
file was flouting Fatah orders not to run as or support independents.
The cancellation of municipal elections marked a major blow to Fatah's
credibility. The sources said the decision by PA Chairman Mahmoud
Abbas left Fatah without direction.
"This was a grave failure," Fatah official Nabil Amr said.
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