Imprisoned Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti will run for president in upcoming elections, according to The New Arab.

Hatem Abdel Qader, a senior official in the Fatah Party, told The New Arab’s Arabic language service Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that Barghouti will run for Palestinian president from an Israeli prison.

Fatah officials: Jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti, 61, will run against President Mahmoud Abbas, 85, in the presidential election on July 31. pic.twitter.com/ZODDtkMSSX

— Khaled Abu Toameh (@KhaledAbuToameh) January 26, 2021

Abdel Qader believes that Barghouti “will constitute a strong competitor to any other candidate competing for this position, because of the appreciation, respect and acceptance he enjoys among a wide sector of the Fatah movement and, the general Palestinian public and other political factions”.

Qader said that opinion polls appear to be on Barghouti’s side and that he stands a good chance of winning if current President Mahmoud Abbas, whose presidency expired in 2009, makes the unlikely decision to abstain from running for parliament.

In 2017, Barghouti led the largest prisoners’ hunger strike in Palestinian history and is regarded as a hero among the general public.

Following #US Pressure, #Abbas Announces First #Elections in #Palestine in 15 Years https://t.co/jLgJFQ0cia via @PalestineChron pic.twitter.com/p2w7Visqd9

— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) January 18, 2021

In April, he will mark 20 years of detention in Israeli prisons.

Abbas on Friday signed a decree setting legislative elections for May 22 and a presidential vote on July 31, in what would be the first Palestinian polls in 15 years.

(The New Arab, PC, Social Media)