Marwan Barghouti, a leading candidate of the Fatah list in upcoming Palestinian elections, revealed that his party and the rival Hamas faction were “moving in the direction of partnership on the ground and in the legislative council.”
Barghouti, who is currently serving jail sentence in an Israeli prison, made the comments in a rare interview with Arab television networks Al Jazeera and Al Arabya from his jail cell.
"I call on all of our people to participate in the elections," he said, "out of loyalty to the homeland and the principles, and so as to strengthen our standing and the internal reforms that will bolster our struggle and the Palestinian image throughout the world,” reported Haaretz.
Barghouti stated that upcoming Palestinian parliamentary elections on Wednesday aim to "establish a national reform government where everyone participates," and that they represent an “Intifada of independence.”
He also stressed, according to Ynet, that voting in the election was a means of resistance to Israeli oppression, appealing to the Palestinian public at large rather than endorsing a specific Fatah candidate.
However, Islamic Jihad on Monday called on its supporters to boycott the elections in protest.
"We call upon all our fighters and supporters not to take part in this election in any form," a statement from the movement read.
Last week’s suicide bombing in Tel Aviv was undertaken by Islamic Jihad, which is not running any candidates in Wednesday's election.
In his interview, Barghouti made a personal address to the Israeli public. "I ask the Israeli people to understand there's no future to the occupation. The occupation is a burden. They must rid themselves of this burden," he said.
Many hope that Barghouti's message will help win support for Fatah, that is currently running a close popularity race with Hamas.
According to a recent poll whose results were published by the research institute headed by Dr. Khalil Shkaki and considered reliable, Fatah is expected to win 42 percent of the Palestinian vote, while Hamas will take 35 percent of the vote, according to DPA.
US funds PA as opposition to Hamas
According to an article published in the Washington Post, the United States has reportedly provided some $2 million to the Palestinian Authority in the hopes of increasing Fatah’s chances of presenting a formidable opposition to Hamas.
The move is reportedly part of the USA’s doctrine of liberalization and democratization in the Middle East, which many have criticized for its simplistic understanding of the region.
The funding was an attempt to bolster the image of the PA, going towards services such as providing water and food supplies at border crossing points, cleaning streets and planting trees, reported Haaretz.
The US refuses to recognize Hamas, which it considers a terrorist organization.
USAID mission director for the Palestinian territories, James Bever, told reporters, "We are not favoring any particular party…but we do not support parties that are on the terrorism list. We are here to support the democratic process."
The Fatah campaign has used signs in recent days saying "Abu Amar (Arafat) is voting for Barghouti, who are you voting for?"
© 2006 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
