Home>News Center>World
         
 

Abbas: Palestinian elections on schedule
(AP)
Updated: 2006-01-10 09:01

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said Monday that he would hold parliamentary elections on Jan. 25 as scheduled after he received U.S. assurances that Arab residents of east Jerusalem will be allowed to vote in the city.

Abbas' announcement alleviated some fears that he was planning to call off the vote under pressure from members of his Fatah party concerned that the popular Hamas militant group would embarrass Fatah at the polls.

Abbas said Monday that the ongoing chaos in Gaza — much of it caused by Fatah-affliated militants — is aimed at scuttling the elections, and he told his security forces to protect that "democratic day even with force."

However, Abbas' interior minister, Nasser Yousef, warned that he will not be able to secure polling stations from gunmen trying to disrupt the election.

Abbas: Palestinian elections on schedule
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, gestures as he talks during a press conferance in Gaza city, Monday Jan. 9, 2006.[AP]
Abbas had previously said he would cancel the vote if Israel followed through on its threats to prevent Palestinians in east Jerusalem from voting. Israel is leery of letting Palestinians vote in Jerusalem, seeing it as a threat to its claim to the city, which both sides say is their capital.

During the 1996 Palestinian parliament election, and again a year ago when Abbas was elected to succeed the late Yasser Arafat, the two sides agreed that Palestinian residents could cast absentee ballots at Jerusalem post offices. But Israel had threatened to cancel that compromise this year because of the participation of Hamas, which calls for the destruction of Israel and is responsible for scores of deadly attacks against Israelis in recent years.

In an address carried live on Palestine TV, Abbas said he spoke to several U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who gave him assurances that Israel would allow voting in Jerusalem. Abbas said he also received a message Monday from President Bush.

"The elections will proceed and God willing take place on time," Abbas said.

Abbas: Palestinian elections on schedule
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas listens to question during a news conference at his office in Gaza January 9, 2006.[Reuters]
Israel said Monday that it was reversing its ban on letting Palestinian politicians campaign in Jerusalem — though Hamas would still be barred — but Israeli officials said they had not reached agreement yet on allowing voting in the city.

"We want to reach an agreement under which Palestinians living in Jerusalem who want to vote in the elections can, and at the same time ensure that we don't give legitimacy to any terrorist group," said Mark Regev, spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said two U.S. envoys would travel to the region Tuesday to smooth out arrangements for the elections and other security issues.

With the campaigning ban lifted, candidates distributed leaflets Monday and put up posters in east Jerusalem, which Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast War.

"We are determined to break any Israeli attempt to hold back this national right," said Qais Abu Leila, a candidate from Jerusalem.

Ahmed Atoun, a Hamas candidate in Jerusalem, said Israel has no business interfering. "The Palestinian people want to elect their representatives. Let the ballot boxes decide," he said

Fatah, which is viewed as riddled with corruption, is facing a serious challenge from Hamas, which is participating in parliamentary elections for the first time and has cultivated a corruption-free image.

Abbas is also struggling with increasing chaos in Gaza, where gunmen, mostly from groups affiliated with Fatah, have stormed government offices, taken hostages and even smashed through the border wall with Egypt.



USS Park Royal crew await for Rice
Coffin of Milosevic flew to Belgrade
Kidnapping spree in Gaza Strip
 
  Today's Top News     Top World News
 

Australia, US, Japan praise China for Asia engagement

 

   
 

Banker: China doing its best on flexible yuan

 

   
 

Hopes high for oil pipeline deal

 

   
 

Possibilities of bird flu outbreaks reduced

 

   
 

Milosevic buried after emotional farewell

 

   
 

China considers trade contracts in India

 

   
  Journalist's alleged killers held in Iraq
   
  No poisons found in Milosevic's body
   
  US, Britain, France upbeat on Iran agreement
   
  Fatah officials call for Abbas to resign
   
  Sectarian violence increases in Iraq
   
  US support for troops in Iraq hits new low
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
Manufacturers, Exporters, Wholesalers - Global trade starts here.
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 一本伊大人香蕉在线观看| 亚洲最大黄色网址| 边吃奶边插下面| 国产精品va在线观看无| av2021天堂网手机版| 成人免费在线播放| 久久亚洲精品中文字幕| 最近高清中文国语在线观看| 亚洲欧美日韩中文字幕一区二区三区 | 天天躁夜夜躁狠狠躁2021| 中文字幕无码av激情不卡| 日美女大长腿b| 九九这里只有精品视频| 欧美交换性一区二区三区| 亚洲欧美日韩网站| 澳门永久av免费网站| 免费人成在线观看网站品爱网 | 欧美亚洲综合在线| 亚洲毛片免费看| 男人让女人桶爽30分钟| 午夜dj在线观看免费视频| 色婷婷99综合久久久精品| 国产午夜无码视频免费网站| 黑巨茎大战俄罗斯美女| 国产日韩av免费无码一区二区| 你懂的手机在线视频| 国产精品无码久久久久| 91av在线导航| 国内一级特黄女人精品毛片| 99精品国产在热久久无码| 天天天天躁天天爱天天碰2018 | 99久久精品九九亚洲精品| 天天视频一区二区三区| www一级毛片| 女人18一级毛片水真多| zmw5app字幕网下载| 娃娃脸中文字幕1080p| 一个人看的www免费高清| 婷婷99视频精品全部在线观看| 一级人做人爰a全过程免费视频| 成人av鲁丝片一区二区免费|