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Palestinian polls — technically possible, politically fraught
By Beatriz Lecumberri
| If you're gonna have elections, aren't they supposed to be politically fraught? |
THE Palestinian election to select a successor to Yasser Arafat takes a step forward when candidates begin to register Saturday for a vote that analysts say is technically viable but overshadowed by Israel. "Eight weeks are enough. The most difficult thing is the electoral list. Fortunately, we began two months ago for the spring (legislative) election and we've practically finished," said Ihab al-Bakri from the electoral commission. As of mid-October, 67 percent of the Palestinian electorate - around one million people - were registered to vote... Pending the emergence of a meaty political rival, Mahmud Abbas who has already stepped into Arafat's shoes as chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation looks in pole position to win. He is expected to be named formally as the candidate for the mainstream Fatah party. So far, only three wildcard contenders have officially jumped into the race: former Hamas supremo Sheikh Talal Sidr who quit to become a junior minister; lawyer Ghassan Barham; and political science lecturer Abdel Sattar Qassem.
Posted by: Fred 2004-11-21 |
