Dismissal of Al-Qudwa shows friction in Fatah: Experts

By Qais Abu Samra

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – Palestinian organization Fatah’s decision to dismiss Nasser al-Qudwa, a member of its central committee indicates that the movement is suffering from internal crises and friction, the experts believe.

Fatah is the largest faction in the multi-party Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), ruling the West Bank.

On Thursday, the Fatah party dismissed Al-Qudwa for his attempt to field a separate list of candidates in upcoming legislative elections.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Palestinian political analyst Ahmed Rafiq Awad said expelling Al-Qudwa will deepen confrontations and fractures within the movement which may affect its image.

He said that relations between Al-Qudwa and Fatah have soured beyond repair indicating that the movement “is experiencing a real internal crisis".

"Fatah is facing real concerns and it wants to appear united,” Awad said, adding that the movement is sending a message to its supporters that it is "strong and able to confront any leader who threatens to harm the movement’s cohesion".

In a statement, the Fatah’s central committee said it had given Nasser Al-Qudwa a 48-hour deadline to withdraw his decision, but he did not.

In a recent interview with Anadolu Agency, Jibril Rajoub, the secretary-general of the movement’s central committee criticized the 68-year Al-Qudwa, who is also the nephew of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, of attempting to form a separate list under the name the National Democratic Forum.

At the time, Rajoub said that negotiations with Al-Qudwa were on to convince him to reverse his decision.

Al-Qudwa previously announced his intention to support Marwan Barghouti if he decides to contest the post of president. Barghouti is a member of the central committee currently serving a life sentence in an Israeli jail.

-Qudwa not capable of running polls

Based on a decree issued by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, legislative elections are scheduled to be held on May 22 and presidential polls on July 31.

According to Awad, the dismissal of Al-Qudwa is likely to hurt the movement’s fortunes in the upcoming elections.

Awad said the dismissed Fatah leader is not capable of running in the polls without alliances pointing to rumors that he is courting the supporters of another dismissed leader Muhammad Dahlan.

Dahlan is a controversial figure who was dismissed and is currently sheltered by the UAE as he faces legal cases in Palestine and Turkey. The charges against him include murder, corruption, and involvement in a 2016 defeated coup in Turkey.

Jihad Harb, a professor of political science at Birzeit University said that decision to dismiss Al-Qudwa was expected and natural after fielding a separate list of candidates in upcoming legislative elections.

"Al-Qudwa enjoyed an influential position in the movement as one of its leaders, and the leadership must be cohesive,” Harb said. He also said that the incident has highlighted that the movement is not united and is in a state of fragmentation.

However, Bilal al-Shobaki, a professor of political science at Hebron University, said Al-Qudwa’s dismissal will not have much impact on Fatah citing his lack of a wide support base among the general public.

"Al-Qudwa has a network of relations with Palestinian elite (writers and politicians), but he lacks popular and public support in the streets,” he said.

According to the professor, Al-Qudwa has been criticizing Fatah's handling of the Palestinian situation without presenting an alternative vision and a political program which makes it difficult for him to gain support on the ground.

Nevertheless, he thinks that Al-Qudwa may gather public support to challenge Fatah if he forms political alliances with Dahlan’s supporters.

*Ibrahim Mukhtar in Ankara translated this analysis from Arabic