Several Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Mohammed Dahlan's Democratic Reform Bloc, convened in Cairo to discuss forming a joint electoral coalition aimed at challenging Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in legislative council elections scheduled for November 28, according to multiple Palestinian sources cited by The Jerusalem Post.
Rival Palestinian factions meet in Cairo to discuss anti-Abbas coalition ahead of November vote
Several Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Mohammed Dahlan's Democratic Reform Bloc, convened in Cairo to discuss forming a joint electoral coalition aimed at challenging Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in legislative council elections scheduled for November 28, according to multiple Palestinian sources cited by The Jerusalem Post.
The proposed alliance, described as a 'wide national list,' was said to also include Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Nasser al-Qudwa's National Democratic Forum, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, among other groups. No formal agreement has been reached, according to a Palestinian figure who attended the Cairo meeting.
That figure told The Jerusalem Post the coalition's objective is explicit: 'We want to bring Abbas down; We want to end his dominance.' A separate Palestinian source said the prospect of such a bloc has 'raised alarm bells in Ramallah,' prompting the PA to consider counter-moves to prevent it from forming.
The second source told the Post that Palestinian law grants the largest parliamentary bloc the right to form the next government, warning: 'If this coalition succeeds, it could mean the downfall of Abu Mazen. His group and Fatah's influence would be dramatically weakened.'
In what sources described as part of the PA's counter-effort, a Fatah delegation led by PA deputy Hussein al-Sheikh traveled to Cairo on Monday and held discussions with Dahlan associate Samir Mashharawi, and possibly with other faction representatives. After the meeting, Mashharawi told Arab media that 'unifying the Fatah movement can only be achieved through actions,' adding that he presented a set of points to be submitted to Abbas, whom he described as the decision-maker.
A source described as close to Dahlan's faction said shifting interests — particularly Dahlan's recent role in Gaza ceasefire arrangements — have drawn Dahlan's camp and Hamas closer despite years of mutual animosity. The source also said Egyptian mediation has recently attempted to reconcile Dahlan and Abbas. Abbas ousted Dahlan from Fatah's institutions years ago, after which Dahlan established a separate faction.
At a briefing with Palestinian journalists held a few days before publication, al-Sheikh said elections would proceed in November and must include Jerusalem and Gaza. He also said Hamas could not run under its own name or with its official figures.
- The source does not state whether Abbas himself has commented on the proposed coalition or the possibility of delaying the November election.
- The source does not state the specific points Mashharawi said he presented to al-Sheikh for submission to Abbas.
- The source does not specify what counter-moves the PA is considering beyond the al-Sheikh delegation's Cairo visit.
- The source does not describe the current status of Egyptian reconciliation efforts between Abbas and Dahlan or whether any meeting between the two leaders has occurred.
- The source does not state whether Hamas has formally agreed to run in the elections under a different name or structure, given al-Sheikh's stated condition.
- The source does not establish what role, if any, Gaza's post-ceasefire governance situation plays in the electoral framework being discussed.
Read the original at The Jerusalem Post