Fatah affiliates Thursday denounced the decision of Marwan Barghouti, Fatah's chief in the West Bank, to run for the post of Palestinian Authority president. Syndicates of Palestinian journalists, accountants and auditors slammed the move as irresponsible and aimed at causing a schism within Palestinian ranks. Barghouti, who is serving a life sentence in an Israeli jail, will be the main competitor for Palestine Liberation Organization Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, nominated by Fatah as its sole candidate. "We stress our total rejection and condemnation of this irresponsible move, which contradicts the rules of organizational commitment in Fatah," a statement by the journalists' syndicate said. | "What's the point of having a election with more than one candidate? It's too confusing for the voters!" |
It accused Barghouti of seeking to divide Fatah ranks and breaking away from the mother organization. The nomination papers were filed by Barghouti's wife Wednesday, hours before a deadline. Wonder if Barghouti knows his wife set him up nominated him? |
Prior to Barghouti's entry into the race, Abbas was expected to easily win the election that will decide the successor to Yasser Arafat, who died in a Paris hospital last month. | With only one person on the ballot, I can see how they might think that |
Barghouti had earlier issued a statement denying he would run in the Jan. 9 race and had backed Abbas. |