Abbas warns Barghouthi not to criticize him

Press TV

"The Palestinian Authority has warned Marwan Barghouthi in Israeli jail not to make any critical remarks about the PA if he is released.

A Fatah official told The Jerusalem Post that the PA warned Marwan Barghouthi, the former top ranking official of Fatah, not to criticize Acting Palestinian Authority Chief and Fatah leader, Mahmoud Abbas, if he is released from the Israeli detention.

According to the source, Hussein a-Sheikh, a senior Fatah official who is close to Abbas, met with Barghouthi in prison earlier this week, warning him over his possible remarks against the PA and Abbas.....

Barghouthi has been among the Hamas' list of Palestinian prisoners whose release has been demanded for the exchange of Israeli Gilad Shalit.....

But Israel has been trying to use Barghouthi's release as a goodwill gesture meant to bolster Fatah against Hamas.

Abbas however is concerned that Barghouthi will use his close personal ties with some Hamas leaders to undermine his Fatah leadership......"

Also, see this from Al-Manar:

'Barghouti Release May Divide Fatah'

".....In the message that was relayed to Barghouti, the PA leadership stressed that his release would be the result of Abbas's efforts and pressure on Israel, and not because his name appears on the list of detainees that Hamas is demanding in return for captured Israeli occupation soldier Gilad Shalit.

The message also reminded Barghouti of the damage he caused Fatah when he decided to challenge Abbas in the presidential election that was held in January 2005. Then, Barghouti was forced to drop his candidacy after coming under heavy pressure from Abbas and old-guard Fatah leaders, who continue to maintain that he was partially responsible for the divisions in Fatah that brought Hamas to power a year later.

Abbas is also concerned that Barghouti will use his close personal ties with some Hamas leaders to undermine the veteran Fatah leadership. According to the Fatah official, even as he sits in prison Barghouti is exchanging messages with Khaled Mashaal, the Damascus-based Hamas politburo Chief, and Osama Hamdan, the movement's representative in Lebanon.

Barghouti's release would also likely agitate the power struggle between the young guard and the old guard in Fatah. As a representative of the young guard, Barghouti has long been demanding major reforms in Fatah, which has failed to hold internal elections for two decades......."