(Ha'aretz)Arnon Regular - Fatah officials believe Marwan Barghouti, a West Bank leader currently serving life imprisonment in Israel for ordering and funding terror killings, will refrain from entering the race to succeed Arafat. Sources in Fatah said over the weekend that Barghouti would not challenge the present veteran PA leadership. Abbas is almost certain to win the vote; Hamas is unlikely to field a candidate, since the chairman's position was created by the Oslo Accords, which Hamas does not recognize. Previously scheduled municipal elections will take place on December 20, but PA sources said parliamentary elections will be held only once Fatah has rehabilitated itself and feels ready to compete against opposition groups such as Hamas.
2004-11-15 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive