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Will Fatah’s upcoming conference do more harm than good?

There are fears among Palestinians that the seventh Fatah conference to be held Nov. 29 will lead to an organizational split.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas gestures as he delivers a speech during a rally marking the 12th anniversary of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's death, in the West Bank city of Ramallah November 10, 2016. REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman   - RTX2T0A6
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GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — The seventh Fatah conference, to be held Nov. 29, is drawing the attention of the movement itself and of the Palestinian street in light of the division and internal conflicts plaguing Fatah. Fatah’s internal division reached its peak in the past few months when on Sept. 28 Fatah head Mahmoud Abbas dismissed Fatah leaders and cadres on charges of delinquency and on Oct. 25 withheld the salaries of others based on the same charges.

The announcement of the conference, in which 1,300 Fatah leaders and cadres are expected to participate, comes after a two-year delay caused by internal disputes and incomplete preparations. In this context, Article 43 of Fatah’s statutes stipulates, “The Central Committee calls for a regular session [of the general conference] once every five years. This session can be postponed by force majeure, following a decision by the Revolutionary Council.”

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