Palestinians Call Off January Election

(Reuters) The Palestinian cabinet decided on Sunday to postpone indefinitely a general election scheduled for January, saying it was difficult to hold a vote while Israeli forces continued to occupy West Bank cities. Israel has said there can be no such withdrawal until the attacks against Israelis end. It sent troops into West Bank cities this year after Palestinian suicide bombings against Israelis. A senior Israeli official said Israel had harbored no illusions that an election - which Arafat had been expected to win - would have led to real reform in a Palestinian leadership it accuses of complicity in violence. "An election with Arafat and terrorism would have been a mockery of the democratic process," the official said.


2002-12-23 00:00:00

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