FATAH CENTRAL COUNCIL DISCUSSES SIXTH CONGRESS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 000137 SIPDIS SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE, NEA/IPA AND NEA/PI. NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/PASCUAL E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/25/2018 TAGS: KPAL KWBG PGOV PREL PTER IS SUBJECT: FATAH CENTRAL COUNCIL DISCUSSES SIXTH CONGRESS Classified By: Classified by Acting Principal Officer Thomas M. Duffy f or reasons 1.4 (b,d) ¶1. (C) Summary. On January 15, eleven of the fourteen Fatah Central Committee (FCC) members discussed preparations for the Sixth Fatah Congress. They agreed that 1,500 representatives to the Congress, which will elect Fatah's leadership, will be selected from numerous Fatah organs by February 15. Grassroots leaders privately criticized FCC allotment of only 10 percent of Congress seats to elected Fatah leaders and warn that the Congress will likely reproduce the current Old Guard leadership. End Summary. Outline for Sixth Fatah Congress -------------- ¶2. (C) January 15, eleven of the fourteen Fatah Central Committee (FCC) members, including PA President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) and PLO Central Council member Ahmed Qurei (Abu Ala'a),discussed preparations for the Sixth Fatah Congress. The Congress will elect new FCC and Fatah Revolutionary Council (FRC) members and set the movement's new political platform, according to FCC member Abbas Zaki. FCC members agreed that Fatah regional elections must conclude by February 15 and FCC member Hakam Balawi will draft proposed Congress participants. ¶3. (C) Zaki told ConGen Political Specialist that the FCC discussed having 1,500 participants at the Congress. (Note: The Fifth Congress in 1989 had 1,100 participants. End Note). He said Balawi is proposing participants include: -- all FCC and FRC members -- 150-170 grassroots members from West Bank and Gaza regional committees -- 150 former Fatah Secretaries General -- 150 Fatah members without Fatah offices -- 100 representatives from PA Ministries, labor unions and professional syndicates -- 500 PA security forces -- PLO ambassadors and officials, Fatah staff from Commission and Mobilization offices, and Palestinian prisoners and wounded. Zaki said the FCC did not discuss a date or venue, but the Congress will not be before mid-2008. ¶4. (C) According to Salah Shadid and Saleh al-Ziq from the Fatah Office of Mobilization and Discipline (MAD),which oversees the regional committee elections, elections will likely be completed by February 15 in Jericho, Jerusalem, and other West Bank regions, but not in Nablus, Ramallah, or Gaza. They said they expect regional committee members will be appointed where elections are not held. Grassroots Leaders Criticize Plan -------------- ¶5. (C) Qadura Fares, a grassroots Fatah leader and close ally of imprisoned Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti, told ConGen Specialist that the FCC and FRC are deliberately moving on the Congress now, while Barghouti is imprisoned, Mohammed Dahlan is weak, and grassroots leaders are reluctant to criticize Fatah as it battles Hamas. Fares said Balawi is orchestrating a Congress to reproduce the current Fatah leadership with only minor changes. Grassroots Fatah leader Jamal Lafi added that Barghouti wants to see current regional committee elections proceed, but not the recreation of the current FCC and FRC membership. Hussein al-Shaykh, a grassroots Fatah leader and Dahlan ally, told ConGen Political Specialist that many more grassroots Fatah members want to attend the Congress than the Balawi's proposed 150 to 170 seats allotted to the group. Fatah regional committee member in Jenin Yaser al-Masri said the FCC controls the West Bank/Gaza Fatah grassroots movement, for the first time since 2000, and is ignoring calls by Dahlan and Barghouti not to rig the Congress. No Progress at FRC Meeting -------------- ¶6. (C) According to several Fatah members who attended a January 13 FRC meeting, which was intended to discuss the Congress, there was a shouting match between Dahlan and Naser Yousef over accusations that Dahlan embezzled four million USD before HAMAS took over Gaza. Yousef suggested his accusations came from the PA's Gaza Investigation Report and sought a vote to dismiss Dahlan from Fatah, but FRC Speaker Hamdan Ashour prevented a vote. JERUSALEM 00000137 002 OF 002 ¶7. (C) Comment: With probably less than ten percent of Sixth Fatah Congress seats, elected grassroots members believe FCC organization of the Congress will ensure current Old Guard FCC and FRC members retain their positions. Grassroots leaders are hesitant to voice opposition and provide HAMAS ammunition against Fatah and are expressing nominal public support. However, private discussion suggest, they may broadcast their dissent over a final participant list. Old Guard leaders seem to have successfully co-opted Fatah's internal reform process. Internal elections that we previously thought could indicate internal reform, will apparently not significantly impact the make-up of movement leadership. The FCC has blocked the Sixth Congress since 1989, but has since changed its strategy to devise participation such that the Congress reconfirms the current, largely discredited leadership. End Comment. DUFFY