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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: LindyBill who wrote (88937)	12/1/2004 4:57:11 PM
From: LindyBill	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 793731

If the Pals elect this guy, we won't need to bother with peace talks. Barghouti now running for top Palestinian job Associated Press Ramallah, West Bank — Marwan Barghouti, jailed leader of the Palestinian uprising, took formal steps on Wednesday toward running for president of the Palestinian Authority, associates said, reversing an earlier decision and throwing Palestinian politics into disarray. Saed Nimr, head of a group devoted to freeing Mr. Barghouti from an Israeli prison, confirmed the presidential campaign paid a deposit equivalent to about $3,500 Canadian on Wednesday, just hours before a midnight deadline. Mr. Barghouti's wife prepared to submit formal registration papers later Wednesday, he said. Barghouti's candidacy would undermine the prospects of interim Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, the presidential candidate of the ruling Fatah movement. Fatah officials have warned that a bid by Mr. Barghouti – a leading Fatah member and more popular than the staid Mr. Abbas – could split the movement. Mr. Barghouti would have to run as an independent candidate. Hamas, meanwhile, announced that it will boycott the Jan. 9 election, the first sign of open tensions between Mr. Abbas and the militant group since the death of Yasser Arafat on Nov. 11. The announcement could undercut the legitimacy of the election, though Hamas said it would honour the outcome. Hamas has tens of thousands of supporters and is particularly strong in the Gaza Strip. Also Wednesday, Israel and Egypt reached agreement for Egypt to deploy 750 troops along its border with the Gaza Strip ahead of Israel's planned withdrawal from the territory, senior Israeli officials said. The decision was made at a meeting in Jerusalem between Israeli Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz and Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, according to the officials. Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip is to begin in July 2005, according to the government's “unilateral disengagement” plan. Mr. Barghouti, who represents the younger generation in Fatah, has wavered repeatedly on whether to run. Several days ago, he announced he would drop out of the race for the sake of unity. However, on Wednesday, Barghouti's campaign paid the bank deposit required of independent presidential candidates, Mr. Nimr said. Mr. Barghouti's wife, Fadwa, who visited him in prison Wednesday, was en route to Ramallah to submit the formal papers for her husband's candidacy to the Central Election Commission, Mr. Nimr said. Mr. Barghouti's backers have collected the required 5,000 signatures of support in recent days, and were to submit them along with the application. Mr. Barghouti's return to the campaign threatened to divide what had been a united front in Fatah. Many young Fatah activists have complained that the long-entrenched Palestinian leadership has frozen them out of key positions. But after Mr. Barghouti said last Friday that he would not run, the young guard pledged to unite behind Mr. Abbas. A Barghouti presidency would also undermine the chances for resuming the peace process. Mr. Abbas has been critical of the armed uprising against Israel and is eager to resume peace talks. Mr. Barghouti also favours a negotiated settlement, but has also praised armed confrontations. Israel, for its part, says Mr. Barghouti is a killer who will not be released from prison. Mr. Barghouti, 45, is serving five consecutive life terms in an Israeli prison for his role in terrorist attacks that killed four Israelis and a Greek monk. Mr. Barghouti has denied involvement in violence. Word of his candidacy came just hours after Mr. Abbas formally launched his campaign for Palestinian Authority president, calling for a renewal of peace talks with Israel and saying the two sides would meet after the election. “We must have a dialogue with the Israelis,” Mr. Abbas said at his campaign headquarters. “After the elections, we will meet again” to discuss the so-called road map to peace, the internationally backed plan that calls for the establishment of an independent state next year, but which has been stalled since it was signed in June 2003. The Palestinians have failed to meet their commitment to crack down on extremist groups such as Hamas, while Israel has not kept its pledge to halt settlement construction and pull down settlement outposts. © 2004 Bell Globemedia Publishing Inc. All Rights Reserved.