Prisoner protest halts campaign

CAMPAIGNING for Saturday's Palestinian elections was suspended in Jerusalem, the West Bank towns and Gaza yesterday while candidates from all political persuasions gathered to protest at Israeli treatment of Palestinian prisoners.

At Red Cross headquarters here half of the Jerusalem district's 54 candidates met prisoners representatives to issue a formal protest at Israel's violation of provisions in the second Oslo accord on prisoner releases.

Mr Ahmad Quarei (Abou Al'a), the negotiator of both Oslo accords, declared "All the candidates for Jerusalem condemn the Israeli way of dealing with our prisoners and ask for the release of all women, those who have completed two thirds of their sentences, the sick the very young and the elderly.

He estimated that about 4,000 prisoners remain in Israeli jails and stated that if Israel released those in the categories he named, most would be freed.

Mrs Zahira Kamal, a Democratic Union candidate, stated that 28 women prisoners who have declared a hunger strike and locked themselves into two rooms in Telmonde prison were in "bad condition". Twenty three eligible for release have remained in prison for over six months because Israel refuses to release five women convicted of violence against Israelis.

Neither the public nor journalists were admitted to the compound. But the meeting was an electoral tactic. The prisoner issue is of major importance to the voters.

This issue was addressed by Mr Hanna Siniora, a publisher and independent candidate for a reserved Christian seat, at a late afternoon election meeting attended by about 40 people in the hall of the Saint Saviour Church, deep within the walled Old City.

He repeated the election promise of all candidates "to work for an independent, democratic state with Jerusalem as its capital."

Jerusalem candidates cancelled evening campaign meetings to confer with the National Authority Chairman, Mr Yasser Arafat, on the problems of voting in the city.

Israel has given permission for only 10 per cent of the 45,00() voters in East Jerusalem to cast their ballots at post offices in the city. The other 90 per cent must travel to polling stations in villages outside the municipal limits. This will require them to pass through Israeli check points.

Dr Hanan Ashrawi, the former PLO spokeswoman who is running as an Independent, told The Irish Times "The Israelis are making the election impossible by imposing physical hardships."

AFP adds Negotiations on the final status of Jerusalem, claimed by both Israel and the Palestinians as their capital, have begun ahead of time, the city's Israeli mayor said yesterday. "The negotiations, on the final status of Jerusalem have already started and are going on in different European capitals" to set out a framework for talks to begin in May, Mr Ehud Olmert told state radio.

Israel and the Palestinians have agreed to open talks in May on the status of the Palestinian territories and Jerusalem.