Jailed leader wants PA job
2004-11-25 22:17
Jerusalem - Jailed uprising leader Marwan Barghouti will seek the presidency of the Palestinian Authority, an associate said on Thursday.
The decision reshuffles the Palestinian political landscape in the run-up to the January 9 elections.
Barghouti, jailed by Israel for involvement in terrorism, is widely considered to be the most electable Palestinian candidate.
He plans to announce his candidacy to replace the late Yasser Arafat, said the associate, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Barghouti's candidacy would deepen an internal power struggle within Arafat's dominant Fatah movement, which had been expected to endorse the interim leader Mahmoud Abbas.
- AP