Arafat still refuses to give dates for polls

THE MIDDLE EAST: The Palestinian President, Mr Yasser Arafat, said yesterday that presidential and legislative elections could be held next winter while local elections would be conducted towards the end of the year.

The Palestinians' first and only general election was held in January 1996. Mr Arafat has repeatedly promised to stage district and municipal elections but has not honoured his commitments.

He said polling would not depend on an Israeli army withdrawal from Palestinian self-rule enclaves. "It's not conditional \ I hope there will be a withdrawal so we can have our election freely in Palestine."

This amounted to a reversal of the stand he took last week when he said there could be no elections as long as Israel maintains its occupation.

Under strong pressure from the "quartet" of the US, the European Union, Russia and the UN, and his own election commission, Mr Arafat still refuses to give dates for the consultations.

Late on Wednesday members of the five-member commission, headed by Mr Arafat's deputy, Mr Mahmud Abbas (known as "Abu Mazen"), reportedly tendered their resignations in protest against the president's refusal to set dates for the polls.

It is unlikely that Mr Arafat will accept. It is standard practice for Palestinian Authority ministers and committees to make a show of protest by resigning at times. Mr Arafat is under pressure to carry out reforms and then they resume their duties after the pressure eases.

Members of Mr Arafat's entourage are currently jockeying for position ahead of the implementation of a plan to slim down the cabinet and institute fundamental reforms.