Palestinian MP: hold election as act of resistance
Mustafa Barghouti says lack of democracy is unacceptable and Palestinians refuse to be 鈥渟laves鈥�
A Palestinian opposition leader has told HARDtalk that he blames both Israel and the Palestinian Authority for the 鈥渦nacceptable鈥� failure to hold elections in the occupied territories since 2006. Mustafa Barghouti, who finished second in the last vote for the Palestinian presidency, called for new elections to be held as an 鈥渁ct of non-violent resistance鈥�.
Speaking to Stephen Sackur from Ramallah, Mr Barghouti accepted that the Palestinian Authority led by Mahmoud Abbas lacked legitimacy. The parliament to which Barghouti was elected has been dissolved by Abbas, something which he believes was done 鈥渋llegally鈥�. But he also accused the Israeli government of 鈥渄oing everything it can to prevent elections from taking place鈥� in the Palestinian territories.
Dr Barghouti, leader of the Palestinian National Initiative, described Israel鈥檚 new government as 鈥渢he most extreme in the history of this region鈥� and accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of blocking 鈥渁ny possibility鈥� for peace. He added that 鈥渇ascist elements鈥� within the Israeli coalition want to 鈥渇lood the West Bank with settlers鈥�.
There has been a high level of violence in recent months, with Israeli forces often clashing with young Palestinian gunmen in the occupied West Bank. Mr Barghouti said that the 鈥測oung generation will not accept to be slaves鈥�. He argued that many of them are 鈥渢urning in that direction鈥� of militancy in order to 鈥渄efy this system of occupation and apartheid鈥�. Israel has been accused of committing the crime of apartheid by various international human rights groups, but rejects these accusations.
