Palestinian MP and Former Minister Nabil 'Amr: There Is No Democracy in Fatah

The following are excerpts from an interview with Nabil 'Amr, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council and former PA Minister of Information:

Nabil 'Amr: There is no democracy, in the modern sense of the word in Fatah. In Fatah there is freedom of expression, freedom of opposition, and freedom of dialogue, but democracy as seen in political parties and movements [worldwide], is absent in Fatah, in my opinion. This is evident in the fact that such a large movement holds a general assembly every 15 or 20 years. This is unheard of in history.

Only in Fatah are the leading positions eternal. Progress towards democracy should be manifest in change, innovation, and in renewed awareness. In my opinion, all these matters are obscure in the Fatah movement.

For instance, Fatah doesn't have a central publication that its members can read and follow, like any political framework. From now on we must take all these issues more seriously. We shouldn't continue to protect Fatah like a piece of crystal we are afraid will break. We must point to its faults as well as its virtues and try to renew and develop it while developing Palestinian society and political life within it.