GEORGE BUSH STEALS ANOTHER ELECTION

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PETER BEAUMONT, OBSERVER, UK - Here is how democracy works in the Alice
in Wonderland world of Palestinian politics under the tutelage of the US
and international community. After years of being hectored to hold
elections and adopt democratic norms, a year and a half ago Palestinians
duly elected Hamas with 44 per cent of the vote, ahead of Fatah on 41
per cent.

It was a good election, as former US President Jimmy Carter observed at
the time, a free, fair and accurate expression of the desires of a
Palestinian people sick of the uselessness, corruption and gangsterism
of Fatah. The problem was that it didn't quite reflect the wishes of
Washington and the international community.

And while there can be no denying that Hamas, which refutes the
existence of Israel and has backed suicide bombings, is a threatening
organization, there was no attempt at engagement, in the way that Fatah,
whose militants have perpetrated scores of attacks, has been engaged
with for years.

Now, after the months of financial embargo of the Hamas-led government
by the US and Europe, after the funding and propping up of Fatah's
President Mahmoud Abbas, after the slow, crushing squeeze on Palestinian
society that encouraged its social disintegration, what have we got?
Virtual civil war in Gaza, the polarization of Palestinian society, a
government dissolved by decree, and a new Prime Minister, Salam Fayyad,
appointed with the explicit blessing of the US.

Let us remind ourselves of the democratic credentials of Fayyad, an
intelligent and impressive economist, generally regarded as untouched by
corruption. In any other circumstances he might be ideal. But in last
year's elections to the Palestinian Legislative Council - the election
Hamas won - Fayyad's list secured just 2.4 per cent of votes. Not
exactly a popular guy to lead a society in collapse. That is not his
only problem. Analysts of the Palestinian political scene don't rate
Fayyad's lack of democratic credentials simply on his feeble showing in
the elections.

They'll tell you he is largely unknown to most Palestinians; that he has
no party machinery to support him; and that his running mate Hanan
Ashrawi is unpopular with many Palestinians.

The reality is that the only people who are really behind Salam Fayyad
are the European and US diplomats who have long sung his praises behind
the scenes to any journalist prepared to listen. . . .

It is hard not to be cynical. Palestinian society was squeezed until it
hurt - punished as a whole for voting for the wrong party. And when the
inevitable explosion occurred last week, Abbas finally fired Hamas, as
the US has been encouraging him to do amid his months of dithering.

So which was the real coup? Hamas's bloody attack on the violent
gangsters allied to Fatah who have terrorized Gaza for a year? Or
Abbas's unconstitutional moves yesterday with America's backing?

Either way, once again it is Palestinians who will suffer.
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,330040059-119093,00.html

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