Sharon aides to meet Palestinians to coordinate elections

Top Israeli and Palestinian officials plan to meet in the next week to coordinate security arrangements for next month's Palestinian presidential election, a senior Israeli official said on Saturday.

The talks between aides to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, including former bureau chief Dov Weisglass and political advisor Shalom Turgeman, and senior Palestinians were called despite a new spasm of violence that has shattered a brief period of calm in the Palestinian territories after Yasser Arafat died on Nov. 11.

"There are ongoing contacts ... which have intensified in the past few days, to ensure smooth and free elections" are held on Jan. 9 to replace Arafat, an official told Reuters.

He would not say when and where the meeting would be held, but that its purpose would be "to coordinate the fine details", regarding security for a three-day period including before and after the balloting.

Israel agreed earlier in the week to a Palestinian request to permit Palestinian residents of Jerusalem to take part in the elections, and to pull Israel Defense Forces troops out of Palestinian cities during the vote.

Carter to head delegation observing electionsA team of American election observers, including former United States President Jimmy Carter, will come to the region to monitor the upcoming Palestinian elections, a Carter spokeswoman said Friday.

The U.S. team will join a group of European Union officials in observing the Jan. 9 election to choose a replacement for Yasser Arafat, who died last month.

Deanna Congileo, a spokesman for the Carter Center, said the former president will join the observer mission being organized by the National Democratic Institute.

Palestinian Cabinet minister Saeb Erekat said NDI officials told him the team would include 80 people.

"I appreciate this decision ... and we welcome (them)," he said.

	Dov Weisglass, a top aide to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, will meet with Palestinian officials to coordinate security aspects of the PA elections. (Alon Ron)