Minister Zeevi's Killer To Run For PA Office

2005-05-01

Ahmed Saadat, jailed in Jericho for role in murder of late Tourism Minister Rehavam Zeevi, says candidacy will underscore "right of prisoners to stand for office"

Ali Waked

http://www.ynetnews.com/ articles/0,7340, L-3079806,00.html

RAMALLAH - Leader of the People's Front for the Liberation of Palestine , Ahmed Saadat, is expected to run at the head of his party's election list during the elections to the Palestinian Legislative Council, scheduled for July. Zeevi murder

PA, Abbas at odds over terrorist release / By Ali Waked and Reuters

Abbas says secretary-general of PFLP responsible for assassination of government minister to be released following Jericho handover to Palestinians; Israel says will hunt him down should release occur

Full Text

Saadat is currently serving a prison sentence in Jericho for planning the murder of Tourism Minister Rehavam Zeevi.

PFLP spokesman Dr. Ravah Moneh told the Palestinian newspaper "al-Ayyam" his organization should play a part in the Palestinian parliament, in order to "represent the issues that concern the Palestinian public.

Another group spokesman told Ynet the decision was taken in order to support the "right of prisoners to stand for office and to take part in the Palestinian elections."

Authority promises to disarm candidates

The Popular Front announcement followed an attempt by Palestinian Interior Minister, Nasser Yousef, to halt mortar fire from the Gaza Strip .

Yousef has promised the Palestinian Authority would not allow any Palestinian organization to dictate the Authority's daily schedule and the political process through the sight of a gun.

"We support political pluralism," he said. "But we will confiscate all illegal weapons we find on the street. The only legal weapons are those in the possession of the Palestinian Authority and it's security forces."

But Yousef said the Authority would not enter people's homes to confiscate weapons. "We will negotiate with Palestinian organizations with regard to the need to halt the anarchy currently reigning on the street, but if this doesn't work, we will not hesitate to use force to impose order, security and rule of law."

He added the Authority has completed security plans in anticipation of Israel's withdrawal from Gaza and the northern West Bank.

"We are doing everything possible on the ground in order to continue building Palestinian security services, and to re-establish public faith in the security establishment.

Hamas Fury

Hamas was quick to react to Yousef's remarks, warning against any attempt to disarm the group. He said there would be no return to the "black days of the 1990s" in which Israel and the Palestinian Authority "joined forces against the Palestinian opposition."

An Islamic Jihad spokesman said the anarchy has no connection to armed Palestinian organizations, and he welcomed any attempt to halt criminal activity on the Palestinian street, as long as the attempt did not restrict activities of the Palestinian "resistance."

Source: IMRA – Independent Media Review and Analysis