Posted on 10/28/2004 8:29:49 PM PDT by SmithL
If all goes as planned – and nothing does – ailing Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat will be eased onto a plane bound for Paris Friday morning. For the Palestinians, it will mark the first day of the rest of their lives.
"Arafat is a symbol that comes once every 300 years," Kadoura Fares, a Palestinian Legislative Council member and part of Fatah's so-called Young Guard, told reporters Thursday.
Still, he added, "Yes, thank God, we are ready for the worst." That is, for Arafat's death and the subsequent succession process. Oddly in a region of the world so infamous for anarchy, Palestinian politicians are relying heavily on PA laws to help them navigate the crisis.
"There is a great possibility of smooth succession if everyone abides by the law," said Abdel Jawad Saleh, a PLC member and former minister in one of Arafat's constantly reshuffled cabinets.
But Arafat's shoes are big ones to fill. Palestinian politicians believe that his power will have to be distributed. No man should wield so much power over a polity that aspires toward democracy. Therefore, a caretaker government of a few top PLO officials will take over. Or Rauhi Fattouh, the hitherto unknown speaker of the PLC, will take over for a period of 60 days until elections.
According to reports, Arafat called Mahmoud Abbas and Ahmed Qurei to his side, like a patriarch on his deathbed. As secretary-general of the PLO, Abbas is the frontrunner to assume the reins of leadership, but there are other forces at play.
(Excerpt) Read more at jpost.com ...
"Arafat is a symbol that comes once every 300 years"
Thank God, even THAT is too often!
It sounds like Arafat has already been written off.
The Palis know that after Arafat comes the deluge. They are petrified!
This is going to be a knives-drawn scramble to see who gets to jump next into the EU and UN's plexiglass catch-cash-blowing around booth.
Is this Arafat's way to pull a fast one and get away to safety before something really nasty happens, something that would surely bring Israeli wrath down on his compound? Again, are we sure he isn't faking it?
LOL! I suppose the answer to that is who cares!
"Arafat is a symbol that comes once every 300 years."
The same was said of the plague.
My fav from the article was the very first sentence:
"If all goes as planned – and nothing does – ailing Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat will be eased onto a plane bound for Paris Friday morning. For the Palestinians, it will mark the first day of the rest of their lives."
Sounds like all the Palestinians will be going to a AA like group home for former terrorist regime members. LOL
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