Official Observer Delegation for January
9 Palestinian Presidential Election
(U.S. State Department, by Adam Ereli) The United
States is sending an Official U.S. Observer Delegation to the
January 9, 2005 Palestinian Presidential Election. The delegation
will be led by Senators John Sununu (R – NH) and Joseph R Biden,
Jr. (D – DE) of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee; and
will include four Congressional staff members, and prominent Palestinian-Americans
George Salem and Ziad Asali. David Pearce, U.S. Consul General,
Jerusalem, will join the delegation when it arrives.
The U.S. Delegation
will visit polling sites, meet with senior Israeli and Palestinian
officials and prior to departing, will make an assessment of the
election process. The Delegation’s visit will demonstrate
that the U.S. is fully committed to a free, fair election process
that produces a credible result. This outcome will require close
coordination between Israel and the Palestinians, and we are working
with both parties to support successful administration of the
election. We recognize the extent of Israeli and Palestinian cooperative
efforts during the period leading to the elections. We hope that
this cooperation will continue and will lead to further steps
toward realization of the President’s vision of two states
living side by side in peace and security.