Japan decided to extend emergency assistance totaling around USD 1.06 million to the Palestinian government and a U.N. body for the presidential elections, due to take place next month, the Foreign Ministy announced Tuesday.
Of the total, USD 690,000 will be given to the Palestinian central election committee to help its voter education activities for the January 9 elections in which the people will decide on a successor for Yasser Arafat.
The remaining USD 370,000 will go to the Japan-Palestine Development Fund of the UN Development Program (UNDP) to assist in the activities of election observers.
The central election committee has recently asked the donor countries for donations to help in carrying out the election in a fair and smooth manner, according to the ministry.
