[Shadow_Group] Palestine candidates registered

[shadowgroup-l at lists.resist.ca]

Palestine candidates registered 
Nov 21, 2004 

FROM:
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/news_world_story_skin/460054%3fformat=html<http://tvnz.co.nz/view/news_world_story_skin/460054?format=html>
Palestinians has begun registering candidates for a
presidential election to replace Yasser Arafat, while
officials warned the vote may be delayed if Israel
does not halt military activities. 
    
Palestinian election officials urged Israel to ensure
a free and fair ballot by redeploying troops away from
Palestinian population centres and curtailing military
operations. 
    
Ammar Dweik, chief election official, said candidates
will have 12 days to register to run in the election
on January 9, 60 days after Arafat died of an
undisclosed illness at a French hospital. 


The last poll was in 1996. 
    
The election winner would steer Palestinians through a
hoped for resumption of deadlocked peace talks with
Israel and a revival of an internationally-backed
"road map" to peace that calls for the establishment
of a Palestinian state. 
   
"We have been repeatedly demanding that Israel should
withdraw its forces from Palestinian areas so that our
teams can do their job without obstacles," Dweik told
Reuters. 
    
"Any assassination, incursion or curfews will
definitely affect the election timetable," he said. 
   
Israel has promised to do "everything that is needed"
for democratic Palestinian elections, including
probably allowing Palestinians from East Jerusalem to
participate in the ballot. 
    
But Israeli soldiers killed two Palestinian youths in
the northern West Bank city of Nablus on Saturday.
Palestinian medical sources said the two 15-year-olds
were shot dead when Palestinians hurled rocks and
firebombs at Israeli forces. 
    
Acting Palestinian President Rawhi Fattouh called on
Israel to redeploy to positions held before a
Palestinian revolt began in 2000. He hoped
international monitors would oversee the vote. 
   
"We urge the international community to pressure
Israel to allow Palestinians to practise their
election rights," he said. 
    
International efforts to restart stalled peace talks
were expected to begin next week with visits by US
Secretary of State Colin Powell on Sunday and British
and Russian foreign ministers Jack Straw and Sergei
Lavrov later in the week.



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