MIDDLE EAST: The younger guard of Palestinian leaders, who spearheaded both the first and second intifadas, has emerged victorious in the first round of primary elections for the ruling Fatah party, sweeping aside many of the party's veteran members who have become associated with a corrupt regime.
In the West Bank city of Bethlehem, the four top spots on the Fatah list in Friday's primary for the January 25th parliamentary election, were leaders during the first uprising, which erupted in the late 1980s.
In Nablus, the three top spots were filled by members of the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades - one of the main armed groups which is associated with Fatah. Most of the top spots in Jenin were also won by al-Aqsa militants.
The result that drew most attention was the crushing victory of Marwan Barghouti, who won 90 per cent of the vote in the Ramallah run-off. Already a prominent figure during both intifadas, Barghouti has had his popularity boosted as he is serving five life terms in an Israeli jail after being convicted of involvement in attacks that killed Israelis.
Unlike many of the old guard, who took up the reins of power when they returned to the territories in the mid-1990s along with Yasser Arafat, Barghouti grew up in the territories and is associated with those calling for reform of a ruling structure that many Palestinians view as ridden with corruption and cronyism.
Israeli president Moshe Katsav yesterday ruled out a pardon for Barghouti.
The election of reform-minded candidates could help Fatah leader President Mahmoud Abbas in the showdown with Hamas in January. The militant Islamic group, which is running for the first time in parliamentary elections, is perceived by many Palestinians as an ideological movement untainted by corruption.