Uncertainty over Palestinian poll

[Wordie]

Uncertainty over Palestinian poll

Campaigning is set to begin in Palestinian parliamentary elections, amid doubts about whether the poll will actually go ahead.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has said he will delay the vote if Israel refuses to allow Palestinians in east Jerusalem to vote on 25 January.

However, he dismissed calls from within his ruling Fatah party to postpone the poll over growing instability in Gaza.

Some opposition groups say Fatah leaders fear they may do badly.

In the first general election for 10 years, Fatah faces a strong challenge from the Islamic militant group Hamas.

Israeli officials recently indicated that they were reconsidering their threat to prevent Palestinians from voting in east Jerusalem.

The threat was made in protest at the participation of candidates from Hamas in the election.

Mr Abbas said on Monday that all the factions agreed there could be no elections if east Jerusalem was not included in the poll.

However, a Hamas spokesman in the Gaza Strip denied agreeing to a delay.

"Our role as Palestinian parties is to exert effort to remove the obstacles, not to take them as pretext to delay the elections," Sami Abu Zuhri said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4576506.stm

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