Palestinian President Yasser Arafat will run in elections scheduled for January next year, a Palestinian cabinet member said today.
"My information is that he will run for election again," Palestinian minister Mr Nabil Shaath told a London press conference.
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He said the Islamic militant group Hamas could make a strong showing were legislative elections to be held in the current political climate. A Palestinian official said earlier that presidential and legislative balloting would take place between January 10th and 20th.
"Hamas will probably make a significant showing and might even take over a majority of the parliament. Their threat to the presidency is less," he said.
Mr Shaath welcomed some points of US President George Bush's Middle East address on Monday, but feared a pro-Israeli tone would lead to further hardening of views among Palestinian extremists.
Mr Arafat has brushed aside Mr Bush's appeal for his people to replace him, but he appeared to be sending a message to Washington by pinning down the date for the first Palestinian elections since 1996.
"President Arafat officially declared today that the election of the president of the Palestinian Authority and the election of the Palestinian Legislative Council will be held in January 2003," Cabinet minister Mr Saeb Erekat said.
He said the exact date would be set soon.