(20 Jan 1996) English/Nat

Palestinians have been voting in the historic first election for their own assembly and President.

But there are conflicting accounts about the progress of the polling and major Islamic and Palestinian leftist groups have boycotted the election.

PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat is virtually guaranteed the top post and his followers in the Fatah faction are likely to dominate the new 88-seat legislative council.

In West Bank towns like Ramallah, Palestinians are Savouring their first taste of democracy as they vote for a president and legislative council.

More than one (m) million Palestinians were eligible to vote in the first ever Palestinian general election.

Unofficial estimates reckon over half those eligible had cast their votes by mid afternoon.

P-L-O chief Yasser Arafat cast his vote in Gaza City and, with only token opposition, is almost guaranteed a victory, making him the first president of the Palestinian authority.

His wife, Souha, a Christian from the West Bank town of Ramallah, also voted there.

SOUNDBITE:

"This is great feeling, we are proud of our democracy of the Palestinian democracy.
(Question from a journalist: Do you know who is going to win?)
"We will see, we'll have to wait today and we'll see."

SUPER CAPTION: Souha Arafat, Arafat's Wife

International monitors are overseeing the elections - they spoke of a good turnout.

SOUNDBITE:

"So far, the show up is really very good - to our expectations and even more. There are some problems that are within control."

SUPER CAPTION: Dr. Baramki, Palestinian Election Commission

In Abu-Dis, a village near East Jerusalem, former U-S President Jimmy Carter arrived at a polling station to help monitor the process.

He accused Israeli police of intimidating Palestinians with a massive police presence and by filming voters.

Carter said it was an attempt to reduce the size of the Palestinian vote in Jerusalem.

The Dutch Senator, Hannah Gegaldeblum, who is another monitor, saw the elections as proceeding relatively well overall, but found some faults.

SOUNDBITE:

"Well, we see some irregularities where people are... where the police is looking very closely - watching - inside. And of course that's not what the police is supposed to do."

SUPER CAPTION: Hannah Gegaldeblum, International Observer and Senator of the Dutch Parliament

Some have said the continued presence of Israeli soldiers in Hebron to guard Jewish settlers has undercut support for Arafat in the only West Bank town still under Israeli control.

While most Palestinians were voting, other Palestinians and Israelis alike protested against the elections.

With the Al Aqza Mosque gleaming in the sun, hundreds of Jews gathered at noon Saturday at Jerusalem's Wailing Wall, to conduct a protest prayer against the polling.

And in the city of Ramallah,protests were held by family members of Palestinians still held in Israeli prisons.

Demonstrators brandished placards demanding the release of relatives still held by the Israelis.

The say the peace process cannot go ahead if the new Palestinian government does not make prisoner release its top priority.

By the afternoon, the atmosphere had soured in East Jerusalem with scuffles breaking out between police and voters.

Thousands of Israeli police were on the streets of Jerusalem, fearing attacks from both Jewish militants and Islamic extremists opposed to the peace process.

The results of the presidential vote will be known on Saturday night - and will almost definitely show Yasser Arafat the winner.


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