Barghouti expresses support for Abbas in elections

Jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti announced Saturday his full support for Fatah candidate and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) chief Mahmoud Abbas to run in the upcoming Palestinian presidential elections.

Barghouti's wife Fawda made the pledge on behalf of her husband in a conference held here.

"The Palestinian people would keep the will of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to agree on one decision for Fatah movement,"said Fadwa, adding that Fatah and Abbas' supporters should stand around Abbas.

Abbas would compete with six other candidates for president ofthe Palestinian National Authority (PNA) in the elections due onJan. 9.

Abbas had called for the release of all Palestinian prisoners, including Barghouti.

Abbas, or better known as Abu Mazen, was viewed as a favorite candidate to win the elections, Barghouti once registered as a candidate to run in the elections but withdrew from the competition later.

Source: Xinhua