With the Election of Mahmoud Abbas, Palestine may look forward.

international | politics / elections | other press Monday January 10, 2005 13:38 by benjamin

Now all eyes are on Israel.

Abu Mazen has been elected with a clear mandate to lead the Palestinian people, in full and fair elections a bit like the ones you get for school classroom which you're supposed to do around 14-16 years old, except President Jimmy Carter generally doesn't observe them.

He can't observe all the elections you know.

But if you're a school teacher you can ask his team for help in explaining how elections work, and get your kids to regularly take part in democratic practise.

You'll also have to get them to do regular polling and ensure that they don't fall into the trap of thinking an election only comes once every few years.

You'll have to teach them with much patience about the ways of modern dialogue and the search for concensus which transcend the problems of the classroom and effect us all.

Arrival Statement of the NDI (National Democratic Institute) and Carter Center Delegation to the 2005 Presidential Election of the Palestinian Authority :-

http://www.cartercenter.org/doc1959.htm

Results of the election :-

http://libe.com/page.php?Article=267026
http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,1386862,00.html

Abu Mazen has met with the Representative of the EU, the Portuguese Javier Solana today whilst representatives of both militant groups, Hamas and Islamic Jihad, have indicated they will work with the newly elected government.
http://www.lavanguardia.es/web/20050110/51173741708.html

link to the Palestinian Israeli site bitter lemons a site of dialogue and the search for concensus and the way to Peace.

Saleem = Shalom