Editing Palestine Liberation Organization (section)

===Internal politics===
On 4 February 1969, Fatah founder, Arafat, was elected [[Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization|Chairman of the PLO]] in [[Cairo]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HAJIAAAAIBAJ&pg=2064,4351664&dq=arafat&hl=en|title=The Morning Record – Google News Archive Search|work=google.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0C14F839541A7493C7A91789D85F4D8685F9|title=Fatah Wins Control Of Palestine Group|website=Select.nytimes.com|date=5 February 1969|access-date=8 March 2017}}</ref> Since, Fatah has been the dominant factor within the PLO, which still continues in 2015.

Under pressure from the international community led by Israel and US, and from inside his own party Fatah, Arafat partially transferred some of his strongly centralized power in 2003,<ref name=mew_constitution/><ref name=ahram>[https://web.archive.org/web/20030811171247/http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2003/647/re2.htm ''Arafat vs Abbas'']. Al-Ahram Weekly, 17–23 July 2003, Issue No. 647</ref><ref name=cnn_2002-05-15>[http://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/meast/05/15/mideast.arafat/index.html ''Arafat urges overhaul of Palestinian government'']. CNN, 15 May 2002</ref> causing strong tensions within the Palestinian leadership. Arafat appointed [[Mahmoud Abbas]] as prime minister, but this resulted in disputes about the transfer of tasks and responsibilities. Abbas was strongly supported by the US and the international community, because he was supposed to be more willing to give far-reaching concessions to Israel.<ref name=ahram/> While Arafat had retained most of his power and a power struggle within Fatah continued, the leadership was criticised for corruption and nepotism.<ref name=guardian>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/jul/20/israel ''Arafat urged to end corruption after unrest'']. Chris McGreal, The Guardian, 20 July 2004</ref><ref>[https://al-shabaka.org/briefs/corruption-in-palestine/#return-note-4564-9 ''Corruption in Palestine: A Self-Enforcing System'']. Tariq Dana, Al-Shabaka, 18 August 2015</ref>

After [[Death of Yasser Arafat#Theories about the cause of death|Arafat's death]], Abbas increasingly gained exclusive powers within both PLO and PA as well as in Fatah, until he had acquired the same power as was previously held by Arafat.<ref name=frykberg>[http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/08/critics-slam-mahmoud-abbas-plo-resignation-farce-150827081457810.html Critics slam Mahmoud Abbas' PLO resignation as 'farce']. Mel Frykberg, Al Jazeera, 28 August 2015</ref> Abbas is criticized for his autocratic rule and refusal to share powers and plans with other Palestinians. In the absence of a functioning parliament and Executive, he even began to issue his own laws. Senior representative of Abbas' Fatah faction and [[Third Qurei Government|former Fatah minister]] of prisoner affairs, [[Sufian Abu Zaida]], complained that Abbas appointed himself as the chief judge and prosecutor, making a mockery of the Palestinian judicial system.{{citation needed|date=March 2019}} There appeared reports of widespread corruption and nepotism within the Palestinian Authority.<ref name=frykberg/><ref name=highlights_corruption>[http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/05/report-corruption-palestine-institutions-gaza.html# Report Highlights Corruption in Palestinian Institutions]. Hazem Balousha, Al-Monitor, 6 May 2013</ref> Only Hamas-ruled Gaza has a more or less functioning parliament.<ref name=birzeit>[http://lawcenter.birzeit.edu/lawcenter/en/conferences/911-the-legislative-status-in-the-palestinian-territory The Legislative Status in the Palestinian Territory]. Birzeit University, December 2012.<br/>″Article 43 of the Amended Basic Law grants the President the power to issue decrees that have the power of law in cases of necessity that cannot be delayed. ... Towards 9 January 2009, laws used to be sent by fax or email to the PNA President for approval within 30 days. Otherwise, laws would automatically enter into force. According to the new Law on the Official Gazette, these were published in the Official Gazette. After 9 January 2009, however, no laws have been sent to the President's Office for approval and promulgation. In this context, Mr. Barham went over major laws passed by the Gaza-based PLC.″</ref>

====2015 struggle for power====
{{see also|Politics of the Palestinian National Authority}}
With a ''de facto'' defunct parliament and Executive, Mahmoud Abbas increasingly gained exclusive powers within both PLO and [[Palestinian National Authority|PA]], as well as in [[Fatah]]. After the announcement in August 2015 of Abbas' resignation as [[Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization|Chairman of the Executive Committee]] and of nine other members as well, many Palestinians saw the move as just an attempt to replace some members in the executive committee, or to force a meeting of the PNC and remain in their jobs until the PNC decides whether to accept or to reject their resignations.<ref name=jp_purported>[http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Purported-Abbas-resignation-from-PLO-Executive-Committee-ridiculed-as-silly-show-413006 ''Purported Abbas resignation from PLO Executive Committee ridiculed as ′silly show′'']. Khaled Abu Toameh, Jerusalem Post, 23 August 2015</ref><ref name=reuters_heats>[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-palestinians-abbas-idUSKCN0QW14B20150827#4Qc7e4CCci6BkWJM.97 ''Abbas heats up Palestinian politics in PLO reshuffle bid'']. Nidal al-Mughrabi and Ali Sawafta, Reuters, 27 August 2015</ref> Met with fierce criticism by many Palestinian factions, a session of the PNC, who had to approve the resignations, was postponed indefinitely.<ref name=maan_postponed>[https://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=767521 ''PNC chair confirms controversial session postponed'']. Ma'an News Agency, 9 September 2015</ref>