Palestinian PM urges EU to help conduct elections in Palestine

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, February 19, 2004

Palestinian PM urges EU to help conduct elections in Palestine

Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei on Wednesday called upon the European Union (EU) to help conduct elections in Palestine.

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Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei on Wednesday called upon the European Union (EU) to help conduct elections in Palestine.

Qurei, who is on a working visit to the EU headquarters, made the call when addressing to the European Parliament (EP), saying that elections were "the main item on the agenda" in Palestine.

"We want elections. I want you to help," the prime minister made a simple declaration, which ignited applause from the EP members.

"We are not going to open the door to a civil war," he said.

"If things continue in this way the secular democratic program will fail and the extremists will win," warned Qurei, who was a key figure in setting up the Oslo peace accords.

Opinions from on-line newsletter EU observer believe that Qurei may see elections, if free and fair, "as a way of overcoming divisions in the Palestinian Authority he heads along with Mr. (Yasser) Arafat."

During his visit to the EU, Qurei called on Israel to take immediate measures to crack the deadlock of the Middle East peace process and to implement the Roadmap plan, co-sponsored by the EU,Russia, the United Nations and the United States.

The Prime Minister also expressed cautious optimism over Israeli Primer Minister Ariel Sharon's plan of dismantling 17 settlements in the Gaza Strip.

Earlier this month, Sharon stunned Jewish settlers and members of his own Likud party by revealing that he had ordered plans to be drawn up for the evacuation of 17 of the 21 settlements that Israelis set up in the Gaza Strip.

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