Fatah and the government

Restless Fatah candidates running for leadership positions in the secular movement huddled in their hotel rooms with friends and campaigners hours before the results of their first election in 20 years.
Most are anxiously working the phones while the clocks tick away. A few hours and the results would be announced. The fierce campaiging of hundreds of Fatah candidates is over. A new leadership will emerge soon to face challenges and key issues the previous leaders failed to resolve.
These issues include reconciliation with Islamist Hamas and reuniting Gaza with the West Bank, preparing for U.S.-sponsored negotiations with Israel, changing attitudes that led to Fatah's loss to Hamas in the 2006 election, and preparing for parliamentary and presidential elections planned for January.
But most importantly, reforming the internal structure of the mainstream group and prioritizing objectives.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who was re-elected Friday as Fatah's leader, said in his speech at the launching of the Fatah Congress that one of Fatah's mistakes was losing its independence as a national movment and melting in the Palestinian Authority's institutions and structures.
Not many in Fatah share his view. Many have participated in the Fatah election hoping to strengthen their movement and regain power. Fatah, which has led the Palestinians for over 40 years, is no longer running the government in the West Bank and has been greatly weakened in Gaza by Hamas.
There were voices before and during the Fatah Congress saying the new Fatah leadership should return to power and take over the government from technocrat Salam Fayyad.
Fayyad has earned world recognition for his reform movement. Confidence in his transparent policies have won the Palestinians billions of dollars in international aid. Fatah has yet to free itself from corruption and mismanagement allegations to secure aid for the cash-strapped Palestinian Authority.
Determined to sway Fatah from pursuing actions to retake the government, Abbas has taken a decision during the Fatah Congress banning the new elected Fatah leaders from taking up governmental positions.
This decision may be contested by Fatah's new leaders. Abbas' message however was clear: The time has come to reassess Fatah's experience and learn from its defeat.