PA Elections: Shots Fired at Home of Candidate from Muhammad Dahlan’s List

By: Baruch Yedid

Shots were fired on Sunday night at the home of lawyer Hatem Shahin, one of Fatah’s candidates for the Palestinian Legislative Council elections and a member of Muhammad Dahlan’s ‘Future’ list. Unknown individuals fired several shots at Shahin’s home in Hebron.

Dahlan’s faction was quick to issue a statement of condemnation and placed the responsibility for the safety of all candidates on Palestinian Authority head Mahmoud Abbas and his security apparatus.

A senior Fatah source told TPS Monday that “although Abu Mazen [Abbas] published the Declaration of Rights and Freedoms, which is intended to ensure a fair election, he allows his people, whether security personnel or Tanzim activists, to threaten candidates and not hesitate to harm them.”

In this context, the senior Fatah official noted the threat made by Abbas at the Fatah revolutionary council meeting when he told those present that anyone who dared to run against his list should be shot.

Palestinian publicist Fares Yai’i condemned the shooting, saying it was a “cowardly act that threatens civilian peace and the democratic process.” Ya’i demanded that the security forces expose the criminals involved in the shooting and called on all candidates in Hebron to condemn the heinous act.

Meanwhile, the Central Election Commission approves all of the rival Fatah lists, out of a total of 36 lists submitted to it, and attention is drawn to Muhammad Dahlan’s’ “Future” list and Marwan Barghouti and Nasser al -Qidwa’s “Freedom” list.

Out of 231 objections filed to disqualify candidates, the Central Election Commission approved only one request for the disqualification of Eugene Kushakji, a young woman from Jerusalem, who appeared on the “Freedom” list.

Four objections were removed but Kushakji, who holds Israeli citizenship as a resident of eastern Jerusalem, was disqualified.

A Fatah source explained that Abbas’ men sought to disqualify dozens of members on the Dahlan and Qidwa on the pretext that they had harmed and insulted the Palestinian leadership, but their requests were rejected. Abbas’ Fatah members also sought to disqualify Hamas member Khaled Brahma, who is running on the “We will meet in Jerusalem” list, and who insulted Abbas when he participated in Shimon Peres’ funeral.

The PA believes that Abbas will be forced to postpone the election, taking advantage of Israel’s refusal to allow polling stations positioned in Jerusalem.

During the coming week, meetings are expected between the various factions and Fatah on the issue of placing polling stations in the east of the city. Dalal Salameh, a member of Abu Mazen’s Fatah list, says in this regard that discussions will be held with all factions and separately.

  (TPS)