Palestinian ambassador to Russia rejects accusations of Palestinian national administration's corruption

Palestinian ambassador to Russia Hairi Al-Oridi has rejected the accusations of corruption in the Palestinian national administration's bodies. When speaking at a press conference, the ambassador stressed that US president George Bush that had recently presented his plan of Middle East settlement, "has started a multilateral campaign in order to remove Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat from the political arena and brought forward accusations of corruption and lack of democracy in the Palestinian administration".

"As to corruption, Palestine does not have much funds, and if there is no money, talks of corruption are irrelevant," he pointed out.

The donating countries providing help for Palestine, including the EU states and Japan, have already checked the use of the appropriated sums, Al-Oridi said. "They have not found anything to accuse the Palestinian authorities of," he stressed.

As to democracy, the Palestinian legislative assembly and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat "were elected in a democratic way, at elections that were transparent in every respect", according to the ambassador. Representatives of different international organizations and of many states were present at the election, he recalled.

Bush's statement that connects the creation of an independent Palestinian state with removal of Yasser Arafat was not supported by other European and G8 leaders, Shehata pointed out. "Bush's statement undermines peace in the Middle East and the Palestinian people will never agree to this plan," he concluded.