Ahmed Sa’adat, the General Secretary of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), will head the group’s list of nominees to the July 17 Palestinian legislative elections, PFLP source in Gaza said on Sunday.
Sa’adat is currently held in a Jericho jail, which is operated by the Palestinian Authority under the supervision of U.S. and U.K. security personnel.
Israel accuses Sa’adat to be the mastermind behind the assassination of late Israeli minister Rahba’am Zeivi.
PFLP leader in Gaza Dr. Rabah Muhana told Palestinian daily newspaper Al-Ayam that Sa’adat will top the list of PFLP candidates to legislative elections.
A PFLP source denied that the decision was meant to embarrass the Palestinian Authority, saying Sa’adat is a leading Palestinian figure, and that his nomination came to underline the right of Palestinian political prisoners to take part in elections.
Meanwhile, Palestinian political factions continue to debate the election bill, which was passed by the legislative council last month. The debate is focused around the assigned local and national quotas. The recently approved bill assigns 30% seats to be chosen in a nationwide election.
Palestinian factions, in their meetings in Cairo, agreed to divide the seats equally between locally elected and national elected candidates’ lists.           ÂÂ
