The Election Section (in tribute to Ray Von)

I visited Ramallah yesterday to check out the last day of campaigning in the elections. Parties aren't allowed to campaign today (although I've seen vehicles full of Fatah and Hamas supporters tearing around this morning). Ramallah was even busier than usual, and most of the menara (centre) was closed to traffic by the sheer number of people standing around. The central pyramid there (it looks like a 10 ft mini-Eiffel Tower) was adorned with more posters than a paper factory, and there was lots of music. Then, all of a sudden, the (youth) marching band of Hamas appear from the direction of the market, leading a procession of green-flag waiving men, the obligatory speaker-laden truck cranking out all your favourite Hamas tunes and conspicuously separate, green-flag waiving women. They marched through menara, up one street, and later appeared back down another street, heading from whence they came.
Also conspicuous - to me at least - was the number of posters with Mustafa Barghouti's face on it. He's the leader ("secretary") of Mubadara, or the Palestinian National Initiative, a human rights party. I can't recall seeing his poster anywhere near as much in other parts of Palestine, so presumably he lives in the Ramallah district. Interestingly enough (I say this in the context of the US AID funding Fatah scandal that broke yesterday), his party is reputed to be funded mainly by the EU. In fact, most of the parties are reputed to be funded by foreign sources of income, whether it be Hanna Ashwari's new party (can't remember their name, but apparently they get US money too), Hamas (Saudis and Iranians) or Fatah's now well known about US contributions. I wonder if people are so angry with Fatah now because they got caught with their hand so obviously in the piggy bank?