Ain-Al-Yaqeen - January 20, 2006

		January 20, 2006

THE PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT: IF I FAIL TO IMPLEMENT MY ELECTION PROGRAM, THE SEAT THAT I'M SITTING ON NOW WOULDN'T BE MY GOAL.
OLMERT LINKS BETWEEN THE RESUMPTION OF THE NEGOTIATIONS AND THE DISARMAMENT OF DIFFERENT GROUPS.
IRAQI DISCUSSIONS TO FORM THE GOVERNMENT ARE SUSPENDED UNTIL THE RESULTS OF THE ELECTIONS ARE ANNOUNCED.

Amid official and popular confrontation with Israel over Palestinian voting in occupied Jerusalem, President Mahmoud Abbas said he would not seek re-election after his four-year term ends in 2009 and pledged to reinforce democracy and implement his program of reforms.

"One year passed, I'm not intending to run again for presidency after the three years end," Abbas said during a ceremony to mark the first anniversary of his election to succeed the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

According to Palestinian law, a president of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) has to be elected every four years.

Abbas pledged to continue with, and fully implement, his reform program before the end of his term.

"If I fail to implement my election program, the seat that I'm sitting on now wouldn't be my goal," he said, adding: "During my term I worked and will work on reinforcing democracy and implementing my program that I presented before I was elected."

Abbas welcomed the Israeli Cabinet's decision to allow Palestinians living in east Jerusalem to vote in the Palestinian legislative elections on January 25, said the PNA would not allow anyone to disrupt the elections, and reconfirmed the elections would be held on time and "would never be delayed or postponed."

He reiterated his rejection of any foreign interference in the elections.

President Abbas said the elections and forming a government following holding the elections is exclusively a Palestinian affair.

He was referring to Israeli, US and EU statements setting conditions for the participation of the Islamic Resistance Movement "Hamas" in the elections.

However he said that Hamas participation should be based on clear and new political basis according to the Palestinian Israeli Oslo accords, adding that any changes to these accords require the approval of two-thirds of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) and the National Council (parliament-in-exile) of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

"We (the PLO) returned on the basis of the Oslo accords, which rule the PLC and all the agreements that took place afterwards between us and the Israelis, and subsequently the roadmap," he said.

"If Hamas wants to participate in the government, it has to abide by this basis ... upon which we returned (from exile) to Palestine in 1994, based on the Oslo accords," he added.

Meanwhile leaders of the ruling Palestinian Fatah party and the rival radical Islamic Hamas movement announced that they had agreed on a prohibition against carrying arms on election day and want to make January 25 into a "celebration of democracy."

Sa'eed Seyam, a senior Hamas leader, and Samir Mashharawi, a senior Fatah leader, told a joint news conference in Gaza City that the agreement was reached in a "positive" and "encouraging" meeting Tuesday night.

Mashharawi read out a written statement signed by the two movements, which said it was agreed to ensure calm parliamentary elections and turn election day on January 25 into a Palestinian "celebration of democracy."

He warned that any Fatah member or militant who attempted to disrupt the elections would be ousted from the movement.

Israel's Cabinet agreed last Sunday to let a limited number of Palestinians vote in east Jerusalem in the upcoming elections, but the cabinet barred all campaigning in the city by Hamas.

"I propose to the Cabinet that the election in east Jerusalem be conducted on the same basis as in 1996 and 2005," acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told the Cabinet meeting, in comments carried on Israeli radio.

The Israeli government, however, said it would bar the distribution of ballot slips and campaign posters belonging to candidates of Hamas in the occupied city.

"Under no circumstances will we permit Hamas to enter Jerusalem and carry out electioneering," Olmert said.

A senior spokesman for the Israeli Prime Minister's office later said that Hamas would not be permitted to campaign in east Jerusalem and its candidates could not be included on ballot papers distributed in the city.

Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erakat welcomed the Israeli decision, but condemned the exclusion of Hamas.

"All parties and candidates who registered with the Central Election Committee (CEC) have the full right to campaign in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem," Erakat said.

"Israel has no right to forbid any candidate from campaigning in east Jerusalem," Erakat told AFP.

"We have asked the international observers to ensure that the campaign will take place on the same lines as in 1996 and 2005 which allowed for the candidates from every list to move freely. This includes Hamas," he added.

More than 240.000 Palestinians live in Jerusalem. Scores of candidates contest for winning six seats of the Palestinian 132-seat PLC.

Less than an hour after the Israeli Cabinet meeting, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) detained six Hamas members, including three candidates, in the holy city, AFP reported.

Among the three candidates was Sheikh Mohammad Abu Tir, who is number two on the list of Hamas candidates.

IOF police shut down Hamas' electoral offices in the city, after police officers conducted a search of the premises.

However Hamas defiantly said it will carry on with its campaigning in Jerusalem.

"Israel doesn't have the right to deprive any Palestinian faction from taking part in the election," said Mushir al-Masri, a Hamas spokesman in the Gaza Strip. "We have our own means to campaign and vote" if Israel tries to prevent campaigning by Hamas.

"Hamas will find alternatives and continue our campaign by all possible means," said another Hamas spokesman, Sami Abu Zuhri.

On the other had David Welch said the US Administration backs Palestinian voting "everywhere," amid reports that the United States would "review" its aid to the PNA should the January elections lead to the Islamic Resistance Movement "Hamas" participating in the PNA government.

"The United States believes that the Palestinians should be able to vote everywhere. We want to make sure that people feel safe and free to go and vote," Welch told reporters after his meeting with Abbas in the West Bank town of Ramallah.

The Palestinians' movement "should be facilitated during next elections as previously affirmed by US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice," Welch said.

The US and other Quartet members (the United Nations, the European Union and Russia) support free and transparent Palestinian elections to pave the way for an independent and democratic state, he added.

Welch renewed US criticism of the participation in the election of Hamas.

"The view of the US is that there should be no place in the political process for groups and individuals who refuse to denounce terror and violence, who do not recognize Israel's right to exist and refuse to disarm," he said.

David Welch and Elliot Abrams also met with Israeli Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, in the presence of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's aides Dov Weisglass and Shalom Tourjeman. This was Olmert's first meeting with these representatives since he took the role of acting prime minister some 11 days ago. Olmert was also scheduled to meet with US President George Bush.

According to Haaretz, Olmert told the US envoys that the PNA could collapse if Hamas takes over after winning the legislative elections.

There will be no negotiations with the PNA if Hamas takes control and "does not denounce terror," Israeli minister of "defense" Shaul Mofaz told the US envoys separately.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in a statement: "Holding free and fair Palestinian Legislative Council elections on Jan. 25 represents a key step in the process of building a peaceful, democratic Palestinian state."

She did not favor postponing the elections. "I really don't believe that we can favor postponing elections because we fear an outcome," Rice said.

However Rice warned that, "the Palestinian partner must be committed to preventing violence" in hopes of achieving meaningful agreements with Israel over Palestinians' freedom of movement in their territories.

Moreover she confirmed that: "It remains the view of the United States that there should be no place in the political process for groups or individuals who refuse to renounce terror and violence, recognize Israel's right to exist, and disarm."

Rice had spoken by phone with Abbas and Ehud Olmert.

Meantime Spain's Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said on Monday Europe will have to re-evaluate its links with the Palestinians in the event of a Hamas victory in January 25 legislative elections, a warning that coincided with a similar threat by the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

On a three-day visit to the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and Israel, Moratinos met with Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmad Qurei and Foreign Minister Nasser Al-Qidwa. He was also scheduled to attend a ceremony to mark 20 years since the reestablishment of diplomatic ties between Spain and the Jewish state.

Following a meeting with Qurei in the West Bank town of Ramallah, Moratinos also cautioned against the dangers of unilateral policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"Bilateral negotiations are the only means" to achieve peace in the region, he said, urging the international community to coordinate efforts to return both parties to talks.

He was quoted by the Palestinian official news agency, WAFA, as saying he will seek to rally international efforts to relaunch the peace process on the basis of negotiation on final status, following the Palestinian and Israeli general elections.

The mission of the international community is "to help both parties achieve peace," he said.

He hoped that after the Israeli general election on March 28 both sides would "take on board the responsibility for making peace" -- a move which would be supported by both Spain and Europe.

"I believe that 2006 could be a year of peace for the region," he added.

Following separate talks with his Palestinian counterpart Nasser Al-Qidwa in Ramallah, Moratinos urged for free and fair Palestinian legislative elections on January 25, but cautioned that Europe will have to re-evaluate its links with the Palestinians if Hamas wins.

At a joint news conference with Al-Qidwa, he told reporters that "the necessary evaluations" would have to be made and "a decision would be taken" with regard to funding the PNA.

Nonetheless he defended the right of "Hamas or any another party" to run in the parliamentary poll and said Europe would honor the outcome.

"We will respect the result of these democratic Palestinian elections in which we believe all political groups should participate," said Moratinos.

"We respect the Palestinians' democratic choice and we don't object to the participation of any power in the democratic process, but the power has to be committed to the Palestinian Authority's policies."

While reminding that, "Hamas is included in the EU list of terrorism organizations," he reiterated that, "we have to respect the Palestinian democracy and the Palestinian people's choices."

His words echoed comments made last month by EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, who said the 25-nation bloc would find it very difficult to channel funding to a group, which appears on the European Union's terrorist blacklist.

"If Hamas wins, it will be very difficult for the European Union to continue offering help and money to the PNA," he said.

However, no European action has been taken yet: "We will wait and then evaluate the election results before we adopt a stance," Moratinos said.

The European Union is the largest donor to the PNA and one of the four sponsors of the UN-adopted Middle East peace "roadmap" targeting the creation of a Palestinian state, alongside the UN, the US and Russia.

The EU and US positions vis-à-vis Hamas also corners Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in a very difficult position.

In an interview published in the major Palestinian newspapers on Monday, Abbas defended the right of Hamas to participate in the democratic process even if it was at the expense of his own Fatah movement.

"We have to prepare ourselves to accept any result if we want to be democratic," said the Palestinian leader.

"When the Americans and Israelis told me that Hamas should not participate in the elections, I said: 'This is impossible and what kind of democracy is this,'?"

"I am not on the side of Hamas or any other faction. Even if Islamic Jihad came forward and said they wanted to participate I would have defended them and done the same thing," Abbas added.

Speaking at the same press conference with his Spanish counterpart, Nasser Al-Qidwa assured Moratinos that it was one thing for Hamas to win seats in parliament, but it was another thing for the Islamic Resistance Movement to be part of the government.

"For that, they will need to first stick to the political line taken by the Palestinian Authority," Al-Qidwa told reporters, referring to Hamas' refusal to accept the 1994 Oslo autonomy accords.

The top Spanish diplomat said that he and Al-Qidwa discussed preparations for the January elections, the polls in east Jerusalem and the role of the international monitors including the EU in the upcoming ballot.

"It is an important time for the Middle East peace process. I talked with Dr. Qidwa about the issues of common concerns, the future peace hopes and the possibility to open negotiations of final status issues," Moratinos added.

Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert stayed true to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's diplomatic line, pledging his allegiance to the road map. But, in his first diplomatic comments since filling in for the ailing Sharon, he also used phraseology Sharon rarely employed - a willingness to reach a "final status agreement."

"The government's policy of the last year will continue," Olmert said at a press conference after meeting President Moshe Katsav. "I hope that as a result of the elections in the Palestinian Authority, and as a result of the elections here, I can enter negotiations with Abu Mazen [Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas], depending on their fulfilling their commitments, and we can reach a final status agreement."

At the same time, Olmert said it would be a "mistake" to free Abbas from commitments he took upon himself and "not to demand that he [Abbas] fight terrorism and disarm the [terrorist] organizations." He also said, when asked whether there would be another unilateral disengagement, that he was committed to the road map.

Israeli Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert reiterated that Hamas must be disarmed, urging Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas to deal with the issue immediately after the parliamentary elections.

"Hamas is a terrorist organization...it must be disarmed. On this issue there can be no compromise," Olmert told Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos, who is here to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and Spain.

"It is important for Abu Mazen (Abbas) to deal with this immediately after the elections, according to a clear timetable," he stressed, adding that it was forbidden to differentiate between Hamas' political and military arms.

Israel has allowed Palestinians in East Jerusalem to participate in the Jan. 25 parliamentary elections, but bars Hamas, a radical militant group sworn to Israel's destruction, from the elections.

Olmert said Israel approved elections to be held in East Jerusalem because by doing this, the Palestinians will have no excuse to elude their obligations afterwards.

Olmert also met with EU Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner and emphasized that for Israel it made no difference whether Hamas was in parliament or not. It had to be disarmed in any case, he said.

He also noted that Europe could play an important role in pressing the Palestinians to disband terrorist organizations, adding that "Israel will not compromise with terrorism and intends to wage a harsh struggle against it."

On the other hand the Palestinian Ambassador to the UNESCO has affirmed that a conference is on the way to study the latest Israeli claims about Al-Quds.

In Iraq Iraqi President Jalal Talabani renewed his keenness that Sunni Arabs and former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's list are to join a new national unity government.

"We are keen to assure that the coming government will include the Iraqi Consensus Front (Sunni Arab) and the Iraqiyah List (ledby Allawi), together with the Kurdish coalition and the Shiitealliance," Talabani told a news conference in Baghdad. "I expect the Consensus Front is wise enough to cooperate with us for the sake of the general interests of the country," he said.

Talabani met with UN envoy to Iraq Ashraf Qazi to discuss results of the Dec. 15 elections along with other issues.

Iraq's outgoing President Jalal Talabani said Tuesday he would seek a second term when the new parliament convenes following last month's election.

"The Kurdish list has put me forward as a candidate and I have accepted," Talabani, a Kurd, told a news conference.

But Talabani, who has served as president on a transitional basis since last April, said he would also ask for greater executive powers for himself within what he hoped would be a broad-based government of national unity.

"We don't just want a government of the Kurds and Shiites," he said of the likely two largest formations in parliament.

Sunni Arab representatives "have the interest of the country in mind, that's why I'm convinced they'll agree with us on setting up a national unity government", Talabani said.

Negotiations on setting up a government will only resume after final general election results are out, he said.

Meantime the Shi'a block has won elections in Iraq, according to official results, released of voting which took place last December 15; however, the coalition associated with the Great Ayatollah Al Sistani has not obtained an absolute majority. In fact, according to official data, the United Iraqi Alliance, the slate of conservative Shi'ites, won 128 of parliament's 275 seats; second place goes, with 53 seats, to the Kurdish coalition, so far allied to the Shi'ites, consisting of Massud Barzani's Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) headed by Iraq's current interim president, Jalal Talabani. Five seats also went to the Islamic Union of Kurdistan.

Sunnis, taking part in their first real electoral test, will be represented in parliament by the National Concord Front (grouping the Iraqi Islamic Party, the Conference of the People of Iraq and part of the Iraqi National Dialogue) under the leadership of Adnan Al Dulaimy, which took 44 seats. The 11 seats won by the Iraqi National Dialogue led by Salih Al Mutlaq can also be added to the Sunni result. Another 25 seats went to the Iraqi National List led by Shi'ite, but secular, Iyad Allawi, which grouped together not only Shi'ites but also Sunnis, the independent democrats of Adnan Pachachi, as well as various tribal groups.

Parties have two days' time to challenge results before they are considered final. Sunni parties lodged complaints over voting irregularities from the day voting began. The International Commission of election observers confirmed that irregularities did occur, but said that there were no grounds for repeating elections, as had been requested, nor were punitive actions taken against those responsible.

On the other hand Britain, France, Germany told the United States, Russia and China they planned to call for an emergency meeting of the U.N. nuclear watchdog to discuss Iran on Feb. 2-3, Britain said.

The EU trio told U.N. Security Council permanent members China, Russia and the United States of their intention at a meeting of senior officials in London which was called after Iran resumed some sensitive nuclear work last week.

"The EU/E3 informed other participants (of the meeting) of their intention to call for an extraordinary IAEA board meeting on 2-3 February," a spokesman for Britain's Foreign Office said.

The European Union and United States are keen to persuade Russia and China to back a referral of Iran to the Security Council, which has the power to impose sanctions after over two years of talks have ended in stalemate.

A referral to the Security Council has to go through the International Atomic Energy Agency.

"There was serious concern about Iranian moves to restart enrichment related activities (research and development) contrary to the appeals of the international community not to do so," the British spokesman said.

Many Western nations are worried Iran wants to develop a nuclear weapon but Tehran argues it needs atomic technology to generate electricity.

"There was a thorough exchange of views on the role of the U.N Security Council reinforcing the continuing process at the IAEA in Vienna," he said.

In Tehran, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the world could not deflect Iran from its "scientific developments", a reference to mounting pressure over the country's nuclear programme.

"We are not after nuclear weapons and the West knows this because obtaining nuclear weapons is against the country's political and economic interests and is against Islamic teachings," Khamenei was quoted as saying by state television.

Iran is withdrawing its foreign currency deposits from European banks, the central bank governor said, a move designed to protect its assets from U.N. sanctions that might be imposed over the country's nuclear program.

The Islamic republic also confirmed it is pushing for the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries to cut overall production, signalling it could seek to use its oil riches in the standoff with the West.

Iran's Central Bank Gov. Ebrahim Sheibani told reporters that Iran was transferring the deposits to an undisclosed location, the semi-official Iranian Students News Agency reported. "We transfer the foreign exchange reserves to wherever we deem fit," Sheibani was quoted by ISNA as saying.

Sheibani would not say how much money was involved and it was not clear whether Iran's investments in Europe would be affected.

Oil Ministry spokeswoman Souzan Shakourzadeh also said Iran wants OPEC to cut its overall production ahead of an the expected fall in demand for oil in the second quarter of this year.

Italian Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini told AP that Iran's nuclear program was testing the world's resolve. "The international community must have a defined, very precise, very united strategy," Fini said in an interview in Rome.

The head of France's armed forces, Gen. Henri Bentegeat, accused Iran of trying to obtain nuclear weapons. Iran "presents a major worry because it is a country that has shown extremely bellicose intentions," he told RTL radio.

An expert on Iran, Gary Samore of the McArthur Foundation in Chicago, said Iran's decision to withdraw its European deposits "makes sense in terms of preparing for the possibility that Europe might take some measure to impose some financial sanctions."

The move suggests Iran has taken the issue of possible U.N. sanctions seriously.