The Palestinian presidential elections are set to take place January 9, 2005. With 10 potential candidates running for the position of President of the Palestinian National Authority, a title equivalent to that of Head of State, these elections will prove to be an interesting answer to the widespread international call for Palestinian democratic elections. Though these elections have been accompanied by a fair deal of controversy, surprise nominations, and internal wrangling, especially within the largest represented Palestinian political party, Fatah. Nonetheless, holding the elections is an imperative, especially ahead of possible upcoming peace negotiations.

Numerous hurdles make Palestinian elections more difficult to stage than most others in the world, the most obvious of which continues to be the illegal and prolonged Israeli occupation of Palestinian land and people. The international community would do well to remember that in light of the circumstances facing the Palestinian people as a whole, they deserve the utmost recognition and credit for their democratic ideals, structures, institutions and, above all, the Palestinian multi-party system which can only be compared with highly developed democracies such as those in Europe.

The Palestinian political spectrum consists of 14 different factions or political parties. From the far right to the far left of the spectrum, Palestinians have the choice to be represented by secular, Islamic or leftist parties, as well as host of others. Frankly, Palestinian elections represent an unprecedented show of democracy that is nowhere to be found in the wider Arab world. Israel too could learn from these Palestinian elections that democracy is - and must - be synonymous with secularism. Furthermore, US Secretary of State Colin Powell's ‘oldest democracy in the world’ could also learn a thing or two from the Palestinians. For one, it is absurd to presume that the US population consisting of just under 300 million people is split solely along two lines: Democrat or Republican.

The second hurdle for these elections comes in the form of jailed Secretary-General of Fatah in the West Bank, Marwan Bargouthi’s official nomination for the presidency following his initial decline to enter the race. This move has proven to be a controversial one with many implications for the leading Palestinian faction. Barghouthi’s candidacy has shattered the unity on display since Yasser Arafat's death, threatening to split Fatah between its members of the ‘old guard’ and the ‘new guard.’ Although this political maneuver by Barghouti can be seen as destructive rather then constructive, it is definitely a democratic challenge enhancing democratic competitiveness in an attempt to avoid a land slide victory for Mahmoud Abbas, whatever the motives may be.

The third hurdle comes in the form of the nomination of Presidential candidate Abdelhaleem al-Ashqar, who is not allowed to leave his home in the Washington suburbs because he faces a trial for racketeering. The 46-year-old former university professor, who has been in the United States for 15 years, is accused of illegally collecting funds for the militant Palestinian group Hamas. He is standing in the elections as an independent and his candidacy has been accepted by the Palestinian Central Elections Commission (CEC). Ashqar said he and his helpers secured the 8,000 signatures to be eligible in just 48 hours.

The ten Candidates that have officially been nominated for the prestigious yet very challenging job as the PNA President are as follows:

1. Mahmoud Abbas, 69 (FATAH): Interim Palestinian leader, head of the Palestine Liberation Organization. Abbas, a prime minister under Yasser Arafat, is seen as a pragmatist who opposes violence. However, his views on a final peace deal with Israel are identical to those of Arafat: a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, the right of Palestinian refugees and their families to return to their homes in Israel or be compensated.
2. Marwan Barghouthi, 45 (INDEPENDENT): West Bank Fatah leader, serving five life terms in an Israeli jail for his role in West Bank in the latest Intifada. Barghouthi seeks a Palestinian state alongside Israel, but also justifies attacks on Israeli settlers and soldiers in the West Bank and Gaza as legitimate resistance to occupation. Israel has said it will not free Barghouthi.
3. Abdel Sattar Qassem, 56 (INDEPENDENT): A dissident and anti-corruption campaigner once jailed by Arafat for eight months. Qassem, a political science professor at An-Najah University in the West Bank city of Nablus, is seen as a hard-liner toward Israel. He is running as an independent.
4. Mustafa Barghouti, 50 (INDEPENDENT): A physician and pro-democracy activist. He says he would represent the “silent majority” of Palestinians not affiliated with any political factions. A distant relative of Marwan Barghouti, he also is running as an independent.
5. Bassam Salhi, 44 (People's Party): leader of the People's Party, a small faction with communist roots. A resident of Ramallah, Salhi has been arrested several times by Israel.
6. Taysser Khalid, 65 (DFLP): Returned to the West Bank city of Nablus from Syria in 1995. He was arrested by Israel in April 2002 and released a year ago.
7. Abdel Karim Shaber, 44 (INDEPENDENT): a lawyer from Gaza City. Shaber identifies with Islamic causes but is not a member of the militant groups Hamas or Islamic Jihad. He will run as an independent.
8. Saed Baraka, 49 (INDEPENDENT): A businessman and Arabic language teacher from the Gaza Strip. Baraka, who is running as an independent, was arrested by Israel and deported to Lebanon in 1989 because of links to Islamic Jihad. He returned to Gaza in 1996 and is a member of the Palestinian National Council, the PLO’s parliament in exile.
9. Abdelhalim al-Ashkar, 43 (INDEPENDENT): a resident of the United States with a degree in business administration. Al-Ashkar has been arrested twice by U.S. authorities on suspicion of funding radical Islamic groups. His wife and three children are American citizens. Originally from the West Bank, he is running as an independent.
10. Hassan Khreishe, 49 (INDEPENDENT): Acting speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council. Khreishe, a physician, has criticized the Palestinian Authority for corruption. He is from the West Bank city of Nablus and is running as an independent. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

With most public opinion polls indicating that the chairman of Fatah and former Prime Minister, Mahmoud Abbas is assured almost certain victory in these elections, it is still fair to say that the elections will promise to be an interesting spectacle to follow with the possibility of some surprising outcomes.

One such scenario could involve Marwan Bargouthi as the winner of these elections due to his widespread support and appeal among younger, reformist members of Fatah. However, if this were ever to materialize, it would leave the occupied Palestinian people with a leader serving five lifetime sentences in an Israeli prison.

The other more likely scenario, of course, is that former Prime Minister Abbas wins. Should he win, Abbas knows that at a delicate time like this, his political maneuvering and leverage is very limited due to a Palestinian nation that is no longer prepared to live under a dehumanizing occupation. In short, the average Palestinian expects tangible results from these upcoming elections.

Last, but certainly not least, there is also the issue of voter turnout, which will be needed to give these elections legitimacy. Rami Hamdullah, Secretary-General of the Central Elections Committee (CEC) recently said that “so far 71 percent of the Palestinian electorate, or 1.3 million Palestinians, have registered to vote”. This number represents and reflects a great deal about Palestinian society. With such a large number of people opting to have their voice heard, the emerging Palestinian leadership will have a wide mandate that it cannot afford to disappoint.

The Palestinian democracy is a deeply infringed reality, rather than a political aspiration. However, the ultimate aspiration of Palestinians is, and will always be, freedom from occupation.