RAMALLAH, Sept. 4 (Xinhuanet) -- Palestinian leader Yasser Arafatsaid Saturday that he is not sure if he would run for the comingpresidential elections.

    Asked by reporters at his headquarters in Ramallah if he isintending to stand for elections, Arafat replied that if he wouldrun in the coming elections "it will not be him who decides."

    Registration for Palestinian elections started on Saturday whenArafat registered himself as the first Palestinian who wouldparticipate in the elections, and announced that the process ofregistration had started.

    "Despite the difficulties and obstacles that we are facing andwere put by the Israeli government, we will continue preparing forgeneral and municipal elections," Arafat told reporters.

    Arafat declined to give an exact date on when the parliamentaryand presidential elections would take place, but said that "we hadagreed to make January 2005 as out dateline for holding theelections, but it was postponed."

    Nine Palestinians political parties have announced that theywill participate in the elections, including Hamas, Islamic Jihadand the Democratic Front which rejected to participate in the last1996 elections.

    Fatah movement chaired by Arafat has not applied yet toparticipate. However, Fatah leaders announced that Fatah wouldlater drop a request to participate in the election."

    All the Palestinian factions and powers are proud of theelections and all would be participating," said Arafat.Israel and the United States oppose holding the Palestinianelections, especially presidential election for the PalestinianNational Authority (PNA) in fear that Arafat would be again electedas the chairman of the PNA.

    Arafat is boycotted by Israel and the United States sinceDecember 2001, who have considered that Arafat is not any more apeace partner because he is encouraging attacks on Israel.

    Arafat expressed his rejection to the US and Israeli boycott,saying "I'm not afraid because I don't take my legitimacy from theIsraeli government and from the United States; I take it from mypeople represented by the martyrs." Enditem