Palestinian leader may delay elections

PALESTINIAN leader Mahmoud Abbas said yesterday he will delay parliamentary elections if Israel bars Jerusalem Arabs from voting, the first time he has indicated he would postpone the January 25 vote.

Senior members of the ruling Fatah party yesterday urged Mr Abbas to delay the elections, reflecting growing fears the Islamic group Hamas will deal the movement a stinging blow in the polls.

Mr Abbas said: "We all agree that Jerusalem should be included in the elections. If it is not included, all the factions agree there should be no elections."

Israeli officials say no decision has been made about whether to allow Jerusalem's 200,000 Palestinians take part in the election.

In the past, they voted in a virtual absentee ballot system, because Israel says interim peace accords ban such political activity in Jerusalem.

A new factor is the participation of Hamas for the first time. Israel objects, noting Hamas responsibility for dozens of suicide bombings and its charter calling for Israel's destruction.

Israel opposes allowing voting in Jerusalem, which would appear as a step to legitimise Hamas. However, it doesn't want to be blamed for sabotaging the election and so officials are looking for a compromise.

Talk of a delay comes amid a rash of chaos in the Gaza Strip, including a brief armed takeover of several government buildings. The violence has threatened to weaken Mr Abbas and benefit Hamas, which is running on a campaign pledging clean government and law and order.

Fatah has been weakened by infighting and the growing chaos in Gaza, where gunmen have been kidnapping foreigners or taking over government buildings on a daily basis. A bad showing in the election would further weaken both Mr Abbas and Fatah.

About 200 Palestinian police briefly took over several government buildings in Gaza yesterday to protest the Palestinian Authority's failure to impose law and order. Police have been powerless to halt the violence that has gripped Gaza since Israel withdrew from the area in September.

Fatah's powerful Central Committee met late Sunday to discuss the party's election prospects.

Afterward, members sent a letter to Abbas demanding the election be postponed. They cited the security situation in Gaza and Israel's threat to prevent Jerusalem's Arabs from voting.

At the meeting, committee members also accused Abbas of making broad concessions to the movement's young guard.

They had threatened to split off from Fatah if they weren't given prime spots on the ballots.