I'm not touting,just imparting... Jailed Palestinian Uprising Leader to Run for President, Upending Political Scene
http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBHZOTL82E.htmlBy Mohammed Daraghmeh Associated Press Writer
Published: Dec 2, 2004
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) - Shaking up the race to replace Yasser Arafat, imprisoned uprising leader Marwan Barghouti announced his candidacy for the Palestinian presidency in a last-minute decision to challenge the establishment candidate.
Barghouti's announcement hours before Wednesday's midnight deadline to register for the Jan. 9 election threatened to upset the so-far smooth transfer of power from Arafat to his decades-long deputy, Mahmoud Abbas. It was denounced by officials from Fatah, Abbas' and Arafat's party.
Barghouti was the West Bank leader of Fatah when he was captured by Israeli forces in April 2002. Barghouti, 45, a fiery and charismatic figure, is a sharp contrast to the graying and quiet 69-year-old Abbas, Fatah's official candidate.