Marwan Barghouti mural on security barrier
Marwan Barghouti mural on security barrierKobi Gideon/Flash 90

Marwan Barghouti, a terrorist serving several life sentences in Israel, on Wednesday evening officially submitted an independent list of candidates to the Central Election Commission of the Palestinian Authority, Haaretz reported.

The move constitutes a major shake-up to the Palestinian Arab political map in the forthcoming May election.

At the top of the list will be Dr. Nasser Al-Qudwa, the nephew of former PA chairman Yasser Arafat, who was expelled from Fatah this month after announcing his intention to run independently. In second place will be Fadwa Barghouti, Marwan Barghouti's wife.

Al-Qudwa and Barghouti agreed on Tuesday morning a joint run, according to Haaretz, challenging the Fatah movement and its leader, President Mahmoud Abbas.

Barghouti's announcement is an official declaration of a major split in Fatah and a challenge to Abbas and his supporters from the movement's veterans.

Haaretz noted that many Fatah activists have announced their support for Barghouti in recent hours.

Barghouti is serving several life sentences in Israel for his role in planning terrorist attacks against Israelis.

He is widely believed to have planned the Second Intifada, which claimed thousands of Israeli lives from 2000 to 2005. Barghouti has continued inciting to terrorism from his jail cell.

Abbas recently issued a decree ordering general elections in PA-assigned territories.

The decree states that legislative elections will take place on May 22. A “presidential” election will take place on July 31. It sets a deadline of August 31 for establishing the Palestinian National Council.

Abbas' term as PA chairman was meant to expire in 2009, but he has remained in office in the absence of elections.

No PA elections have taken place since 2006 and similar initiatives in the past have failed to result in elections.