West Bank Fatah leader Marwan Barghuthi has announced that he will not run in upcoming Palestinian elections. In a speech read on his behalf, the jailed leader said on Friday that he would instead be throwing his support behind former prime minister Mahmud Abbas. Al-Barghuthi had earlier come under pressure from Fatah to drop potentially divisive plans to run for Palestinian president from his Israeli jail cell. Palestinian cabinet minister Qaddura Faris, a member of Fatah, visited al-Barghuthi in prison on Friday to try to dissuade him from challenging its presidential nominee, Abbas. Faris told a news conference that Barghuthi appreciated Abbas' gestures, including a promise to hold long-overdue elections in Fatah next year, and would support his candidacy. "After a meeting of four hours, during which we debated this issue, Marwan Barghuthi sends this message to the Palestinian people and its fighters ... He calls on the members of the movement to support the movement's candidate, Mahmud Abbas," Faris said. | Translation: "please don't kill me!" |
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