The upcoming Palestinian election is a major step toward Palestinian statehood, Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti said Sunday in his first TV interview from Israeli prison. Barghouti told Al Jazeera TV that he hopes the vote will produce "a national reform government that enjoys a wide popular and parliamentary base."
Barghouti is the top candidate for Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah Party, which is expected to face a stiff competition from Hamas.
During the interview, he said Palestinians would be honoring their martyrs by casting their votes.
