[News] Surprise Surprise! Israel 'disrupting' Palestinian elections

[News at freedomarchives.org]

Israel 'disrupting' Palestinian elections
By Khalid Amayreh in the West Bank
<http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/0136AEF0-6673-458C-9FF0-11E912E0A799.htm>http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/0136AEF0-6673-458C-9FF0-11E912E0A799.htm
Wednesday 08 December 2004, 19:48 Makka Time, 16:48 GMT
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Mustafa al-Barghuthi has given Israel 36 hours to lift restrictions
Palestinian presidential candidate Mustafa al-Barghuthi has accused 
<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = 
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Israel of "disrupting and 
interfering with" the upcoming Palestinian election, slated for 9 January.

Mustafa al-Barghuthi, a prominent independent candidate, at a press 
conference on Wednesday in Rama Allah said that Israel was not allowing 
candidates freedom of movement within the West Bank and between the West 
Bank and Gaza Strip.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = 
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />



"The Israeli occupation authorities have been barring me from travelling to 
the Gaza Strip, how can we conduct an effective and orderly election 
campaign if one is unable to meet one's supporters?" asked al-Barghuthi.



He said he had already contacted EU officials, including German Foreign 
Minister Joshka Fischer and Spanish Foreign Minister Megel Moratinos to 
inform them of these obstacles.



Protest threat



"We give Israel 36 hours to lift these restrictions, if they don't, we will 
start a series of public protests for the purpose of showing that Israel's 
declared commitment to facilitate our election is not genuine."



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Mustafa al-Barghuthi has accused
some Arab nations of interference

Al-Barghuthi also indirectly accused unnamed Arab countries of interfering 
in the Palestinian elections.



"There are certain sides that have already declared the winner even before 
the organisation of the election," he said.



Al-Barghuthi pointed out that the international community as well as Israel 
were giving Fatah's official candidate Mahmud Abbas preferential treatment, 
which he said constituted a tacit interference in the election process.



"He can travel both inside and outside Palestine unfettered, but I can't 
reach Gaza."



Denial



Meanwhile, a statement issued by the electoral campaign of Marwan 
al-Barghuthi, secretary of the Fatah movement in the West Bank, has denied 
that he is considering withdrawing his nomination for the presidency.



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Marwan al-Barghuthi firm on
contesting presidential poll

  The statement said what was reported by Talab al-Saagh, an Arab MP at the 
Israeli Knesset, about the possibility of al-Barghuthi's withdrawal from 
the election was inaccurate.



Last week, when Marwan al-Barghuthi announced his  candidacy,  Palestinian 
political analyst Hani al-Masri told Aljazeera.net that Marwan was forced 
to enter the race after having received word that Abbas would compromise on 
two key issues: the status of Jerusalem and the Palestinian refugees' right 
of  return.



In Amman, Mamun Asaad al-Timimi, a member of the Palestinian National 
Council (PNC) said members of the PNC in Jordan were not supporting the 
nomination of Mahmud Abbas for the Palestinian presidential election.

Aljazeera




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