A clarion call

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The scenes that accompanied the death of Yasser Arafat, his funeral in Cairo and burial in Ramallah, the outpourings of grief in Gaza, in the camps of Ain Helwa in Lebanon and Al-Yarmouk in Syria, in Palestinian communities across the world, together with the gatherings at Al-Azhar Mosque, in Mecca and other Arab cities contained a clear message for Arafat's successor: make no concessions over the Palestinians' legitimate rights.

In death Arafat afforded Palestinians all over the world an opportunity to assert their presence and their identity. The banners carried by mourners left no room for ambiguity: they exhorted the liberation of the homeland, they encouraged the resistance, they demanded the right of return. Arafat may have left the stage but the dreams and aspirations of his people remain. They cannot be compromised.

It is the Palestinian people who will determine their new leadership and its political agenda. Despite the peaceful transfer of some leadership positions these are interim appointments, lacking the legitimacy required to conduct negotiations in the name of the Palestinian people, or to reach a peace settlement with Israel that satisfies the Palestinian factions.

The Palestinian people and their leadership must now prepare for elections. The candidates' manifestos must be transparent, and they must state precisely what they are prepared to concede during negotiations. Only then will stability be guaranteed when a peace deal is finally signed.

The message from Arafat's funeral is clear, and it will furnish a framework for all election manifestos.

In the meantime, it is the duty of the United Nations, the US and Israel to clear the stage in the occupied territories to allow the Palestinians to choose their representatives in complete freedom.