GAZA, July 3 (Xinhuanet) -- Saeb Erekat, chief Palestinian negotiator said Saturday that the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) has urged the United States to help the Palestinians in holding municipal, parliamentarian and presidential elections in 2005.

   His statement came following reports saying that the United States opposed holding elections in the Palestinian territories in fear that the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat would be re-elected and gain wide popular and international support.

   Erekat told "Voice of Palestine" radio that when he was visiting in Washington recently, he told the US officials "if you are talking about democracy and alternative leaderships, help the Palestinians to hold their elections as soon as possible."

  "Their enthusiasm to hold presidential and parliamentarian elections was less than holding the municipal elections in Gaza and the West Bank,"  he said.

   He added that the Palestinians "will not giving up" calling for practicing democracy and holding their democratic presidential, parliamentarian and municipal elections.  Enditem