Jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti may withdraw his candidacy for the presidential elections due to be held on Jan. 9, Palestinian official sources in the mainstream Fatah movement said on Tuesday.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the sources said Barghouti was convinced that if he runs for the president elections "this would create divisions in the leading Fatah movement in the Palestinian territories."

Meanwhile, Israeli-Arab Knesset (parliament) member Talab Sane' told reporters he had visited Barghouti earlier Tuesday.

"Barghouti told me that he is reconsidering running in the presidential elections because he doesn't want to be the major reason for creating divisions in the Fatah movement," said Sane'.

Fatah's highest committee leaders in the West Bank had said earlier that there were intensive contacts with Barghouti and dozens had asked permission from Israel to visit him and convince him to pull out his candidacy.

Fatah has nominated Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestine Liberation Organization chief, to be its only official presidential candidate.

While Barghouti, who was serving five life terms in an Israeli jail for alleged involvement in attacks against Israel, decided at the last minute to compete for the post.

Recent polls indicate the Abbas is running neck-and-neck with Barghouti. A poll, conducted by the Bir Zeit University in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Friday, found Barghouti won 46 percent support and Abbas won 44 percent.

Source: Xinhua