GAZA/ WEST BANK: Gaza bury victims of Israeli airstrike further pressuring Abbas to put off January ballot as campaigning underway.

Record ID: 347073

  • Title: GAZA/ WEST BANK: Gaza bury victims of Israeli airstrike further pressuring Abbas to put off January ballot as campaigning underway.
  • Date: 4th January 2006
  • Summary: WIDE OF STREET WITH BANNERS
  • Embargoed: 19th January 2006 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA82X5J02Q0TCFG4T7ZMXDGQC5L
  • Story Text: Campaigning began on Tuesday for a Palestinian legislative election clouded by speculation that President Mahmoud Abbas, mired in conflict with Israel and facing a challenge from rival Islamists, could delay voting.
    The Jan. 25 ballot is widely seen as a referendum on Abbas' rule following Israel's Gaza pullout last year, which stoked hopes of ending fighting and of founding a Palestinian state.
    But surging chaos in Gaza, and diplomatic deadlock over Israel's designs on the occupied West Bank and Arab East Jerusalem, have sapped support for Fatah, the ruling Palestinian faction dogged by allegations of corruption and mismanagement.
    Islamic militant group Hamas, popular among Palestinians for its charities and suicide bombings against Israel, is Fatah's most robust rival.
    Abbas raised this possibility of postponing elections on Monday, citing as his reason expectations Israeli authorities would bar voting in Arab East Jerusalem.
    "The Hamas movement reiterates from the midst of the crowd that Jerusalem is an inseparable part of the election process and that we can not accept that the elections take place without Jerusalem participation but on the other hand we should not leave the elections subjected to Israeli wagers because the Palestinians with their factions, authority and people are able to come up with ideas and tools that assure Jerusalemites participation in the elections God Willing," Hamas spokesman and candidate for legislative elections Musheer AlMasri said.
    Israel calls all of the city of Jerusalem its eternal capital -- a status not recognised internationally -- and had at first said police would not permit East Jerusalem voting because of the participation of Hamas, sworn to the Jewish state's destruction.
    Government officials later backed away from the threat, saying they did not want to be used as an excuse for a delay in voting.
    Israel allowed voting in Jerusalem for the last Palestinian parliamentary election in 1996, which Hamas boycotted. Israel says all Palestinian political activity in East Jerusalem itself is banned under interim accords. Palestinians reject this.
    Despite Fatah's troubles, Abbas has a big personal stake in ensuring that elections happen on time.
    His message to Western backers has been that they will strengthen democracy, and also help tame Hamas by bringing it into the political mainstream. Western favour is vital for Abbas in his push to end five years of fighting and win statehood.
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