Will jailed Fatah leader become its new VP?
The newly elected members of Fatah’s Central Committee failed to appoint a vice president, as controversy surrounds imprisoned leader Marwan Barghouti, who received the highest number of votes at the movement’s internal elections.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Fatah's Central Committee will meet later this month to select a vice president from among numerous contenders.
As Fatah's seventh general congress concluded Dec. 4, none of the top vote-getters from the internal elections had been selected for the position. Imprisoned Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti received the most votes in the Dec. 3 elections. Having scored 936 votes, Barghouti is qualified to serve as vice president, while Jibril Rajoub, a member of Fatah's Revolutionary Council, came in second with 838 votes.
Jordanian Al-Ghad newspaper cited Barghouti's lawyer Elias Sabbagh, speaking on his behalf, as saying, "This trust confided in me by my brothers in Fatah, allowing me to score the largest number of votes for the Central Committee elections, makes me hold on to the political path I have taken even more. I will continue working toward national unity … and will restore respect for national liberation and democratic choice."
A source close to Barghouti told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that Barghouti believes those who participated at the conference granted him the position. Barghouti thinks he should bear the responsibility that comes with such a position, even from behind bars, the source said.
