JENIN, West Bank (AFP) - The militant Palestinian group Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades said it is opposed to Mahmud Abbas being elected president of the Palestinian Authority to replace Yasser Arafat and would instead back jailed West Bank Fatah leader Marwan Barghuti.
"We do not support Abu Mazen for the election and we have decided to vote for Marwan Barghuti to be our candidate for president," a spokesman told AFP using Abbas` nom-de-guerre.
Abbas, the new PLO leader, is expected to be formally named as the candidate for the January 9 election for the mainstream Fatah party that he co-founded with Arafat, of which Al-Aqsa is an armed offshoot.
A poll conducted last month said Barghuti was the second most popular choice for Palestinian Authority president behind Arafat, who died last Thursday in a Paris hospital.
Fadwa Barghuti has said her husband -- widely regarded as the inspiration behind the Palestinian intifada -- was the "strongest candidate" for the presidency, but that his bid would depend on Fatah.
But on Monday, Palestinian foreign minister Nabil Shaath said Fatah had reached a consensus that Abbas should be its candidate in the election to replace Arafat.
In June, Barghuti was sentenced by an Israeli to five life terms for murder. He denied all charges.
11/16/2004 - 12:50 GMT - AFP