Barghouti to run for Palestinian presidency News
Barghouti to run for Palestinian presidency

[JURIST] Reversing an earlier decision, Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti indicated his intention plans to run for the Palestinian presidency Wednesday by paying a $3,000 deposit and submitting 5,000 signatures. Barghouti is currently in an Israeli jail, serving a life sentence for his role in shooting attacks which killed five. Although there is a Palestinian movement to free Barghouti, Israeli officials say that he will not be released from prison. A candidacy by Barghouti would likely split the ruling Fatah party, which has backed the interim president Mahmoud Abbas. Barghouti has praised armed confrontation with the Israeli military, while Abbas has been critical of the armed uprising against Israel and is eager to resume peace talks. The Islamic militant group Hamas already announced it would boycott the elections in January to determine the successor to the late Yasser Arafat. Al-jazeera has more.