Leading candidate Mahmoud Abbas received a loud and warm welcome in the West Bank town of Jericho in a campaign visit ahead of a Jan. 9 election to replace Yasser Arafat, telling his backers that he will follow Arafat's policies. About 4,000 supporters filled Jericho's little soccer stadium on Tuesday for Abbas' speech, where he repeated themes from earlier remarks: continuing Arafat's efforts toward an independent state in the West Bank, Gaza and Al-Quds city and a solution for refugees allowing them to return to their original homes in Israel. Meanwhile, the U.S. government has transferred $20 million in cash to the Palestinian Authority. A government statement issued Tuesday said the transfer underlines "U.S. confidence in the Palestinian Authority's reform program." The statement said the Palestinian finance ministry will allocate the money for its needs. "We are all children of this nation. We must say no to Palestinian fighting and no to internal conflict," Abbas said, prompting cheers from the crowd. Abbas also said his people would "not rest" until they have an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with Al-Quds city as its capital. He also called for resolution of the Palestinian refugee problem in accordance with a 1948 U.N. resolution that includes return of refugees to their homes in Israel - a deal-breaker for the Israelis. "We choose peace negotiations as the path toward our rights," he said. "We do not want more than our rights." On the other hand, Ammar Dwaik, a top official in the Central Election commission, said voters' hands will be stamped with indelible ink, and ballot boxes will be locked with numbered seals. "We made every effort possible to make sure that there will be no double voting, no fraud," he said. About 80 international observers will watch polling stations in the West Bank and Gaza.
