Gunmen take over PA election office
About 60 gunmen take over Gaza City office; police call in large reinforcements
(VIDEO) Palestinian police on Wednesday exchanged fire with some 60 gunmen who took over an election office in Gaza City. No injuries were immediately reported.
The gunmen, loyal to imprisoned Fatah-Tanzim leader Marwan Barghouti, were demanding the elimination of "old guard" candidates in a list for Jan. 25 parliamentary election. Gunmen took over four election offices in the Gaza Strip early Wednesday.
Chaos in Gaza (Video: Reuters)
Police rapidly brought in large numbers of reinforcements and the gunmen left the area. Police set up roadblocks and surrounded the building to ensure the gunmen don't return.
The gunmen are opposed to the registration of a new Fatah list topped by imprisoned uprising leader Marwan Barghouti. The gunmen oppose the inclusion of Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei and Cabinet minister Nabil Shaath to the list. Instead, they are demanding the two old-time politicians be forced to run in a district election.
The runup to the Jan. 25 parliamentary election has been plagued by internal Fatah fighting - which initially led to a split between young members of the ruling party - led by Barghouti - and old-timers.
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, fearful that the internal Fatah fighting could cause Fatah to lose the election to Hamas, reached a deal to reunite the party, but last minute changes to the list of candidates has infuriated Barghouti loyalists.
Abbas was also in the Gaza Strip trying to resolve the dispute. The so-called "young guard" say that by including Qureia and Shaath on the list, Abbas is violating an agreement the sides reached requiring such old-time politicians to campaign in their districts.
