Palestinian poll shows likely Abbas landslide

[drdon326]

Mahmoud Abbas, frontrunner to succeed Yasser Arafat, can expect to win 65 percent in next week's presidential election against 22 percent for nearest rival Mustafa Barghouthi, a poll showed on Sunday.
Abbas, the candidate of Arafat's dominant Fatah movement and head of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, is seen as a relative moderate who opposes armed struggle and wants to revive talks with Israel for a Palestinian state.

Barghouthi has also long campaigned against the use of violence in a 4-year-old uprising against Israel.

The poll by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research said 71 percent thought Abbas the most likely candidate to reach a peace deal, but only 49 percent said they supported ending armed struggle. A similar number supported fighting.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=7218027

..............................................................

What a shock !! The most pro-terrorist candidate will win.

[Darranar]

1. So which candidate would you prefer? n/t

[Violet_Crumble]

2. Good question, Darranar...

I hope drdon answers it

Violet...

[Forkboy]

3. well let's kick it then

maybe we'll get one.

[Violet_Crumble]

4. That's an idea!

Hey, I've put AU$10 on the answer being Ariel Sharon! ;)

[King Mongo]

9. Sharon it is

Yes, Sharon with Bush as second man, the European Parlament as janitors, and the UN behind bars.

[liberalhistorian]

10. LOL!

I think you've nailed it down perfectly!!!

[Englander]

5. "Can I Kick It?"

"Yes You Can..."

________________________

Here's a list of the candidates;
http://www.elections.ps/english/news/details.php?id=283


Seven candidates remain in the 2005 presidential election race

2004-12-15

Ramallah – The Central Elections Commission (CEC) announced the official withdrawal of Abd Al Sattar Qasim from the presidential race on Monday, December 13, 2004. He submitted an official withdrawal form to the Nablus Electoral District Office.

With Dr. Abd Al Sattar Qasim's candidacy withdrawal the number of candidates remaining in the race now stands at seven. The remaining candidates are:

1. Mustafa Al Barghouthi, Independent Candidate.
2. Mahmoud ‘Abbas (Abu Mazin), FATEH – (Palestinian National Liberation Movement).
3. Bassam As Salhi, Peoples Party of Palestine.
4. Tayseer Khaled, Democratic Front for Liberation of Palestine.
5. Abd Al Karim Shbair, Independent Candidate.
6. Abd Al Halim Al Ashqar, Independent Candidate.
7. Al Sayyed Barakeh, Independent Candidate.

[QueerJustice]

8. Tag Team?

[Jack Rabbit]

6. As I said on another thread, my choice is Dr. Barghouti

. . . the human rights activist.

I know, Abbas is going to win and I'm not voting, but at least I'll tell you who I prefer.

[Jack Rabbit]

7. BBC Profile: Mustafa Barghouti

From the BBC Online
Dated Thursday January 6

Profile: Mustafa Barghouti

Mustafa Barghouti is widely seen as an outsider in a two-horse presidential race with former Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas to succeed late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who died in November.

Dr Barghouti - an independent candidate - became Mr Abbas' main challenger for the top post only after jailed uprising leader Marwan Barghouti, a distant relative, withdrew his candidacy.

But despite trailing badly in opinion polls, the 50-year-old democracy and human rights activist has been insisting that he has "an excellent chance".

Dr Barghouti has been seeking to portray himself as a man of the people, campaigning for change and demanding major reforms in the Palestinian Authority.

"People are fed up with the system, they are fed up with corruption, they are fed up with favouritism, and people want change," he said during one of his campaign rallies.

Read more.

[southlandshari]

11. Never ask a question you are afraid to answer yourself...

...drdon, you started this thread and must be monitoring our response. I know I am not alone in my curiosity about your preference among the seven candidates for Palestinian president.

The volume of your posts in this forum leads me to believe you know a lot about the situation on the ground in Israel/Palestine. And I am certain that everyone who posts here must share the common interest of peace and justice for ALL Israelis and Palestinians. So I am genuinely interested in your choice for Palestinian president, since it is an election of incredible importance to the region.

For the record, I would have voted for Mustapha Bargouti, for whom I have long held tremendous respect, and who most embodies the grassroots, nonviolent approach to the occupation in which I believe. I also tend to believe that Palestinians who have remained in Israel or the Occupied Territories throughout the events of the past 25 years or so are best qualified to negotiate with the Israelis. Part of the problem with the PA was that it marginalized courageous activists who never lived in Beirut or Tunisia, but who know the hopes and dreams of the Palestinian people and didn't have to rely on outdated rhetoric and bravado.

That said, I believe Abbas has what it takes to articulate the Palestinian position in the international community AND garner respect "on the street" WITHOUT violence. And let me remind those with short memories that it IS possible to resist occupation without suicide bombers or other violent tactics. Even for the Palestinians. Read up on the first Intifada if you don't believe me. Do some research on people like Faisel Husseini and Haider Abdu-Shafi.

Don't forget Abbas resigned as prime minister because of interference from Arafat. This is not insignificant. Now, whether or not he succeeds is as much up to the Israeli and U.S. governments as it is to his own performance in office. Deny it if you must, but it is reality.

[drdon326]

12. Don't really have one........

Mustapha Bargouti seems the most reasonable (:shrug:) but in all candor i really know little about him.


Perhaps you could direct me to his approach to the conflict especially with regard to the terrorist groups?

And ROR?

And the PA itself and his views on how the PA should be run?

[southlandshari]

13. Thanks!

I appreciate your response. I will be happy to give you some links on Barghouti's long, long history of nonviolent activism, though it may be later this evening, if you don't mind the wait. Kids to bed and all that...

Barghouti was working with medical brigades and raising what money he could for ambulances and other desperately needed medical equipment in the Occupied Territories long before the Palestinian Authority OR Palestinian suicide bombers existed. I first knew of his work in 1992 with the Palestinian Medical Relief Committee.

He also, like many long-time human rights activists who have lived and worked in Palestine all their lives, was targeted by the Palestinian Authority for standing up against corruption during Arafat's tenure. I know he was detained and beaten by the PA at least once; just as he has been detained and beaten by the Israeli Army over the years.

Barghouti was the purest of candidates. A realist with hope, and a man with great power to inspire. I still keep some hope that Abbas can, if given the chance, represent the Palestinian people well. But if he doesn't, I hope Barghouti is waiting in the wings with a revolution - Ghandi-style - that may finally bring peace to the "holy" land.