Angus Reid Global Monitor : Polls & Research

Arafat Would Remain As Palestinian President

July 08, 2004

(CPOD) Jul. 8, 2004 - Yasser Arafat would retain his position as president of the Palestinian Authority, according to a poll by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research. 54 per cent of respondents would vote for Arafat if elections were to take place soon.

Arafat was elected on Jan. 20, 1996, garnering 88.2 per cent of the vote in a two-man contest. Current prime minister Ahmed Qorei took over from Mahmoud Abbas, who resigned on Sept. 6, 2003, after several rifts with Arafat.

Two other prospective presidential candidates registered some support in the poll. Marwan Barghouti—who was recently convicted in an Israeli court for his alleged involvement in deadly attacks by the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades—and Hamas political leader Mahmoud Zahar would each get the backing of two per cent of respondents, while 27 per cent remain undecided.

Polling Data

If separate elections were to take place for the office of the president of the Palestinian Authority, what candidate would you vote for?

Yasser Arafat

54%

Marwan Barghouti

2%

Mahmoud Zahar

2%

Undecided

27%

Source: Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research
Methodology: Interviews to 1,320 Palestinian adults in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, conducted from Jun. 24 to Jun. 27, 2004. Margin of error is 3 per cent.

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