When my grandmother used to see one of us doing something bad, and felt that this action could be an indication of a lifestyle of the same, she would say the well-known proverb, “The dance begins with a swagger.” That means that if someone slowly begins doing such things, the matter will start to develop and dominate his behaviour in the future.

All my life I have said that our political system in Palestine is still in its establishment phase. It means that the “swagger” we are doing now will in the future be the prevailing pattern in our political life, if we ever get our own state. When the security apparatuses use force to break up demonstrations, it means that in the future this way will be used to break up demonstrations, and when the security apparatuses have to agree to the appointment of staff, this indicates that political opponents might not get appointed to government jobs.

Today I want to talk about a new “swagger”. Maybe two years ago, Abbas said that he would not think of putting himself forward for the presidency a second time. Today on the news there were rumours that he was sticking to what he had said. And of course the political “elite” in this country are protesting and expressing their support for the president as if He who created him had created no one else. Yesterday (it seems that the rumours will continue for a while) a statement of support came out that was just like a pledge of allegiance by followers. Of course there was no content in the statement apart from “We are behind you, leader of the rally and of legitimacy…onwards to Jerusalem and national stability”. Under these few words were maybe two hundred signatures of people and organisations, some of which we know, others we have never heard of.

And today Abd Gabbo [Yasser Abd Rabbo] started saying, “The President is the only candidate for Fatah and for all the factions of the national project [in the PLO].” It's as if there is no one in the country but him. And of course Abd Rabbo, this spokesperson for the Executive Committee, does not represent even ten or fifteen people in the whole of Palestine, but – praise God – speaks as if he were a popular and legendary hero representing the whole spectrum of the people.

Of course all this business reminded me of many other similar situations. For example, when we were young, and enjoyed the children's programmes on Syrian television, we always used to see maybe four to five thousand young and old people sitting in the stands of the stadium, lifting their fists in the air and crying, “We will sacrifice ourselves for you for ever, Hafez Al Assad!” Naturally Hafez died, and if there weren’t pictures of him filling the streets and public places in Syria no one would remember him, because there is a new person they have to now sacrifice themselves for.

And of course another scene begins with the words, “I have made a decision and ask all of you to help me in it, I have decided to step down, and for good, from all official positions, and return to the ranks of the people” – a spectacle which thousands of people are following, saying “Don't leave us”. OK, but he is the one who begged you to support him in his decision. Does that mean there is no one but him in the country? No people who can do better than him? Must one only come out of the presidential palace in a coffin in order for [the people] to be happy?

No sight of the whole political elite in Yemen begging Ali Abdullah Saleh to nominate himself in the elections.
No amendment behind an amendment to the Tunisian constitution so that His Majesty remains as president.
No government that is not happy to be born six months after the elections in Lebanon because no one has had the power to decide.
Brother Abd Rabbo, don’t we have anyone else amongst us who can be president? At the expense of the people of bravery? Or do we have to uphold Arab traditions?
Just leave us alone and allow us to take our decisions on our own. We have grown up, and are disgusted by you, honestly.