Palestinians prepare for post-Arafat election
Leaders vow most transparent vote in modern Arab history
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 CNN's John Vause on concerns about Israeli checkpoints.
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RAMALLAH, West Bank (CNN) -- Palestinians go to the polls Sunday to elect a new president in what is promised to be the most transparent election in modern Arab history.
The man chosen to replace the Yasser Arafat, the president of the Palestinian Authority who died in November, will inherit a continuing intifada and a derailed Mideast peace process, but also renewed hope for Palestinian statehood.
More than 1 million Palestinians registered to vote, and high participation is anticipated, although Hamas, a highly influential militant group considered by the United States and Israel to be a terrorist organization, has said it will not take part.
Polls opened at 7 a.m. (midnight ET) and will close at 7 p.m. (noon ET) at stations set up in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem
International observers have said it could be the first truly democratic Arab election.
Mahmoud Abbas, the former Palestinian prime minister now serving as interim chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization, is widely expected to win. He was chosen by Arafat's Fatah party to be its presidential candidate. (Abbas profile)
Abbas quit his post as prime minister in October 2003, accusing Arafat of undermining his authority by refusing to give him control of the Palestinian Authority's security organizations.
Israel warned it may withdraw a pledge not to conduct operations within Palestinian cities during the election. The threat followed the shooting death of an off-duty soldier Friday.
Israel has eased travel restrictions and repositioned troops to help ensure Palestinians can vote.
Palestinian officials are particularly concerned about historically Arab East Jerusalem. Israel considers it Israeli territory, but international law views it as under Israeli occupation. There are six polling sites, which Palestinians say may not be enough.
Mustafa Barghouti, the only other of the seven candidates who is expected to draw a significant number of votes, was briefly detained by Israeli authorities Friday.
He accused Israel of illegally preventing his access to East Jerusalem and of trying to intimidate him. Israel said he had violated an agreement between Israel and Palestinian leaders not to campaign on the Temple Mount.
A contingent of about 80 international election observers includes former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former Bush Cabinet official Christine Todd Whitman.
"It looks as if it should be a very smooth process, and we're certainly hopeful for that," Whitman told CNN on Saturday, adding that Palestinian leaders are showing "a great deal of enthusiasm" for the elections.
Whitman said observers are concerned not only about access, but also that there are two voter lists, which could cause confusion, she said.
"And of course, there is always concern that if there is violence that would depress the vote," she said. Security provisions look adequate, she said, but "you just can never tell."
Whitman said the United States "has a vested interest" in seeing the Palestinian elections go well, "and to a certain extent that will have an impact on other elections ... For this to go smoothly will send a very strong message about the possibility of democracy working."
Challenges for the winner
With the result of the vote seeming assured, the biggest question to be answered Sunday may be whether the election can be conducted fairly and successfully.
If elected, the 69-year-old Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, would face tremendous challenges.
"If Abu Mazen wins, I'm afraid there will be payback time," Palestinian legislator Hanan Ashrawi told CNN on Saturday. "Lots of people will expect to see him deliver different things on different fronts to different addresses."
Abbas would have to build "institutions that function" with honesty, accountability and efficiency, she said. He has to deliver "rule of law," she said, a reference to fighting among Palestinian factions that has plagued the West Bank and Gaza.
Abbas would also face the challenge of leading peace negotiations, ending the occupation, and providing security for Palestinians, she said, arguing that the behavior of Israel and the United States "will determine Abu Mazen's success or failure to a large degree."
Ashrawi said that in some ways Abbas is "an extension of Arafat" because he shares a similar background and commitment to the Palestinian struggle. He is also "quite different" in that he has always been "committed to nonviolent resolution" and a negotiated settlement, she said.
"And therefore he will be pursuing a different course, albeit under the guise of maintaining Arafat's legacy."
And unlike Arafat, Abbas would "not have the scope, the leeway, and the licenses to commit any mistakes the way Arafat had licenses from his people to commit mistakes. Abu Mazen will be scrutinized and will have to deliver in an efficient way and in an accountable way."
In recent years, Arafat came under criticism from Palestinians for his leadership, with some accusing him of corruption. After his death, huge sums of money could not be found. But Arafat remained a hugely popular leader, largely for his charismatic representation of the Palestinian struggle.
CNN's Guy Raz contributed to this report.
