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CNN Live At Daybreak
Palestinian Authority Has Set Date For Elections
Aired June 26, 2002 - 06:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Also this morning, a major announcement is coming out of the Middle East. The Palestinian Authority has now set a date for elections. For details, we go live to our senior international correspondent, Sheila MacVicar, who is live in Jerusalem this morning -- good morning again.
SHEILA MACVICAR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you. Yes, just a little more than an hour ago, Saeb Erakat, the chief negotiator for the Palestinians and also the Palestinian Authority's minister for local government, announced that between January 20 and -- January 10 to January 20 -- rather -- 2003, that's next January, the Palestinian Authority will hold elections for the presidency of the Palestinian Authority and for the legislative council.
All of this, of course, just two days after President Bush's much anticipated speech, a speech in which he called upon the Palestinians to choose new leadership.
Now, yesterday, we saw Mr. Arafat outside his still-besieged compound in Ramallah, and when asked what he thought of Mr. Bush's remarks in regards to himself, he said, well, it's up to the Palestinian people to choose their own leader. Today, Mr. Erakat said it is up to Mr. Arafat if he will stand for the presidency.
These elections just one part of what is being billed as 100 day of reforms. They include the implementation of what's called the Palestinian Basic Law, that's the constitution, that amongst other things, guarantees multiparty democracy for the Palestinians. And also Mr. Erakat said they would push through a program of reform in the judiciary and the security services -- Carol.
COSTELLO: You know, you just can't get away from that question of who is going to run? If Arafat decides to run, who is going to run against him? And if he doesn't decide to run, there still isn't any one candidate, is there, that can get up there and run?
MACVICAR: Well, certainly the latest opinion polls show that there is no one who comes close to the popularity of Mr. Arafat amongst the Palestinian people. I mean, it's not even -- we're not even talking close here. We're talking miles and miles. Now, obviously we are talking about an election that will take place six months from now. There are a lot of things that could happen. Mr. Arafat could choose not to stand, perhaps. The Palestinian people could make it very clear in succeeding polls that they would like someone else, or perhaps that they really will support Mr. Arafat.
The question is not so much will there be another candidate. There most likely will be another candidate. The question is will there be a viable candidate who could win the support of the Palestinian people in the polls? Or will Mr. Arafat, if he chooses to run, be re-elected? And what happens next with Mr. Bush's demand that the Palestinians choose a new leader?
Of course, at the G8 meeting, where President Bush is today, he is going to be trying to persuade other world leaders that they should support him in his demand that Mr. Arafat go -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Isn't it the pretty smart thing for Yasser Arafat to do? Because how can the American government say we don't support a democratically-elected leader, even if the United States doesn't want Yasser Arafat in charge?
MACVICAR: Mr. Arafat is already an elected leader. And the question of these new elections have been in the works for some time, this whole package of reform, which include the elections, have been in the works for some time. The Palestinian Authority obviously being pushed by, amongst others, the U.S. administration to carry out these reforms, to institute greater transparency.
Of course, we have heard already from a spokesman for Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel this morning, saying, look, what we want to see are not words but actions, and the most important action we could see is reform that leads to a cessation of terrorist activity -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right. Sheila MacVicar reporting live for us from Jerusalem this morning -- thank you.
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