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Arafat says he backs new leaders in his party
JERUSALEM (CNN) -- On what was supposed to be the first election day for Palestinians in seven years, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat said Monday that he is actively pursuing new politicians within his Fatah party to take over his post. "I am pushing them, and I am proud that our movement, our party Fatah, has a very big amount of people and members, and we are very proud of them," he said in an exclusive 10-minute interview with CNN's Michael Holmes. The first and only Palestinian Authority elections took place in January 1996. The Palestinian Authority was scheduled to hold elections in May 1999, according to the Oslo agreement, but the postponement of peace talks delayed the vote. The Palestinian Authority then set a date for January 20, 2003, which also has been put off indefinitely. Arafat said he welcomed opposition candidates, pointing out that he was not the only candidate in the last elections. "There was another candidate -- she's a famous lady, and she took more than 10 percent; I have 87 percent," he said, referring to the late Sameeha Khalil, the leader of a charitable organization. "You're planning to be around for a while longer though?" Holmes asked. "This is according to God and to the wishes of our voters," Arafat said. Arafat has been under pressure for some time to reform the Palestinian Authority or to step aside. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon refuses to resume peace negotiations with the Palestinians until Arafat is replaced. In June, President Bush -- without mentioning Arafat by name -- said the United States would support the creation of an independent Palestinian state if the Palestinian people "elect new leaders, leaders not compromised by terror." Arafat on Monday blamed Israel for the postponement of elections, saying its forces "have to withdraw" from the Palestinian territories. "How this can be accepted internationally?" he said. "We were ready, and everything had been declared, and we had informed the [Madrid] 'quartet' [Russia, United Nations, United States and the European Union], we had informed all the Arab countries, we had informed the United Nations, we had even ... asked from many of these countries to send, as they had done in the previous elections, observers." Israeli troops have intermittently occupied various cities and territories in the West Bank and Gaza since the latest Palestinian intifada, or uprising, began in September 2000. Israel said the measures are necessary to prevent further attacks, and it claims the crackdown has prevented dozens of potential suicide bombers from getting into Israel. Arafat dismissed that argument. "Oh, suicide bombers? Does this, the suicide bombers in America ... delay your democracy also and your election in America?" he said. "You know that we are against it. Everyone knows that we are against it, and we had declared that, and we take many steps, and recently we had arrested some of them."
Arafat's Fatah movement is the mainstream faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization and is dedicated to the formation of an independent Palestinian state. Fatah's military offshoot, Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, has claimed responsibility for numerous terror attacks against Israeli civilian and military targets. The U.S. State Department has designated it as a foreign terrorist organization. Arafat said he would like to hold an election as soon as possible, saying all that was needed was at least one month for preparation and the withdrawal of Israeli troops. He said that "the most important thing we need is to live in peace, together side by side, with the Israelis." "This is terra santa, the holy land. The peace here is very important, not only for the Palestinians but for the whole world." Addressing reports that he has taken millions of dollars in aid money, Arafat denied the corruption charges. "They are saying I have billions of dollars in many banks everywhere. For your information, I am proud that I am not taking salaries, not from the PLO, not from the PA [Palestinian Authority] -- I refused," he said. CNN Producer Sausan Ghosheh contributed to this report.
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This is according to God and to the wishes of our voters.
