JERUSALEM, 8 January 2005 — PLO chief Mahmoud Abbas said yesterday that if he wins tomorrow’s presidential election, he will ask Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei to stay on in his post.
Abbas, the overwhelming frontrunner in the race, also said he was committed to unifying the various Palestinian security services, a key Israeli demand to move forward with the US-backed road map peace plan.
“We believe that the unification of security services is necessary,” he said.
Abbas promised to tackle illegal weapons though he declined to call for a crackdown on fighter groups, another Israeli demand.
“When I see you in the street carrying a handgun or a machine gun I want to ask if this machine gun is legitimate, if it is licensed.” he said. “If it is not, you will be punished according to the law.” Abbas’ press conference was the last official campaign event before presidential elections tomorrow. Public opinion polls gave him an overwhelming lead over his closest rival.
Meanwhile, two presidential candidates were sent out of Jerusalem by Israel yesterday as Abbas drew heavily on the late Yasser Arafat’s legacy.
As Palestinians prepared to vote, violence continued in the occupied territories, with two Palestinians shot dead by the Israeli Army in the Gaza Strip, while an Israeli was killed and three others wounded in a Palestinian shooting attack in the West Bank.
The independent candidate Mustafa Barghouti, a 51-year-old physician and prominent human rights and democracy campaigner who has emerged as an unlikely force in the campaign, was detained by Israeli security as he attempted to reach the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound to join Friday prayers.
“You are arresting a presidential candidate who has a permit to be in Jerusalem,” he shouted, as he was bundled into the back of a white van. As he was being whisked away, he flashed a V-for-victory sign to the hundreds of worshippers flocking to the mosque. Barghouti’s camp knew a move to reach the spot where the intifada erupted more than four years ago would lead to his arrest, and the Israeli police and Foreign Ministry accused him of deliberately seeking detention to serve his campaign.
“Sunday will be a great day for the Palestinians to show we can have democratic practices even under occupation, with the presence of 703 checkpoints and when candidates like me get arrested and beaten,” he said at a press conference before his detention.
Shortly after Barghouti was sent back to the West Bank, Israeli security officials also gave People’s Party (the former Communist Party) candidate Bassam Al-Salhi his marching orders when they raided a campaign rally at a theater in East Jerusalem.
“Several members of the Shin Bet in civilian clothes came to the theater where he was holding a rally and ordered him to leave Jerusalem now,” his campaign manager Mohammed Al-Atar said, referring to Israel’s internal security service. “They told us his permit was only to enter Jerusalem and not to campaign there,” Atar added. Salhi complied with the request and left for Ramallah under a heavy police escort, he said.
Abbas, meanwhile, in brief comments to reporters marking Martyrs Day, said: “Arafat reminds us of the huge sacrifices made by the Palestinian people to free his land and obtain an independent state.”
He also traveled to the West Bank suburb of Bir Nabala but decided not to proceed with initial plans to attend prayers at Al-Aqsa. “Al-Quds (East Jerusalem) is ours,” he told around 2,000 supporters at Bir Nabala. “We are committed to the creation of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.” Polls have put Abbbas at least 30 points ahead of his nearest challenger Barghouti, but asked about whether he expected to win, he merely said: “I leave to the people to decide.”
Today, the Israeli Army is due to start easing its clampdown on the Palestinian territories to give voters more freedom to travel on election day. While no major snags appeared to threaten the election, the vote comes against the backdrop of tension on the Israeli political scene. A new government was expected to be announced on Monday, in what would be a decisive step in Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s efforts to press on with his plan to unilaterally “disengage” from the Palestinians and withdraw from the Gaza Strip.
— With input from agencies
