Rejecting international pressure that he leave office, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat said Friday he would not step down — but also said he hadn't decided whether to run for office in January 2003 elections.
Arafat made these comments under calls from the United States for the Palestinians to reform their economic, security and justice systems and replace their current leadership with a government "not compromised by terror."
In an interview with The Associated Press and Bahrain television at his Ramallah headquarters, Arafat said he would not leave office any time soon.
"I have been elected by the people. I am not a coward. I'm not ready to betray the people who elected me," he aired. However, in an apparent contradiction, he said no decision had been made on whether he would run for office.
"It is not only up to me. It will be up to many people," he commented.
Meanwhile, Palestinian local affairs minister, Saeb Erakat condemned Israel's plans to try Marwan Barghuoti, the West Bank chief of Fatah movement, saying Israel had no jurisdiction in the case.
Erakat issued a statement that "condemned the Israeli government decision to try Marwan Barghuti and other Palestinian leaders, stating that Israel has no legal and judicial jurisdiction over the Palestinian people.
"This Israeli decision demonstrates that the Israeli government had cancelled all agreements signed, and that the Palestinian Authority will not accept the decision or the result of the trial which will be null and void in accordance with international law," he said. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
