Jailed Fatah leader MarwanBarghouti announced Saturday his full support
for Fatah candidateand 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 Palestinianleader 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, which were designed to choose asuccessor to late Yasser
Arafat who died on Nov. 11.
Barghouti once registered as a candidate to run in the elections but withdrew
from the competition later.
