Palestinians on Saturday formally launched the campaign to select new president as candidates for the presidency of the Palestinian National Authority started seeking signatures to qualify for the Jan. 9 vote.
Candidates have 12 days to present their documents for the election, The AP reported.
It should be noted that newly-appointed PLO chief Mahmoud Abbas' nomination as the candidate of the ruling Fatah party for Palestinian Authority president is not assured.
The young activists of Fatah demand a share of power after being excluded during the Arafat years. The young guard is led by Marwan Barghouti, who is jailed in Israel.
Barghouti's wife Fadwa, picked up an application form for her husband from the Central Election Commission in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Saturday, but said he had not made a final decision on whether or not to seek the post.
Independent candidates who are not being nominated by a political party must submit 5,000 signatures of support and deposit $3,000.
Among those intending to declare bids are Sheikh Talal Sidr, a former Hamas leader who joined forces with Arafat in 1996, and Abdel Sattar Qassem, a political science professor and anti-corruption activist. (albawaba.com)
