A seamless transition appeared possible. But now Marwan Barghouti, Fatah’s leader in the West Bank during the current Intifada, has decided to contest Abbas for the presidency of the Palestinian Authority (PA) from his Israeli jail cell.
在阿拉法特刚去世的几周内，接班人危机还未突现。默罕默德·阿巴斯--阿拉法特的长期副手，也是"奥斯陆协议"的巴方设计师，迅速获得了巴勒斯坦解放组织的核心--法塔赫的全力支持。眼看着这场政治权力转交将在平静中度过，马尔万·巴尔古提，这位曾组织了法塔赫约旦河西岸因提法达起义的领导人，虽然此刻身陷以色列囹圄，却决定参加巴勒斯坦民族权力机构主席一职的角逐，向阿巴斯发起挑战。