GAZA, Dec. 25 (Xinhuanet) -- Palestinian Deputy Prime Minister Nabil Shaath, also a veteran member of the dominant Fatah movement, declared on Sunday that efforts entered the final stage to form a unified Fatah list of candidates for the upcoming legislativeel ections.

    "We are in the last stage of forming a unified list that might be presented to the Central Election Commission soon," Shaath told reporters in Gaza.

    "We might announce the new list either on Sunday night or on Monday," he added.

    The minister also stressed that Fatah members were engaged in efforts to close ranks in the movement and avoid any split.  

 Shaath made the statement as disputes between Fatah's veteran generation and younger leaders resulted in two rival lists of candidates for the Palestinian legislative elections slated for Jan. 25.

    Prominent young Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti, currently jailed in an Israeli prison, registered on Dec. 14 a separate list of candidates, grouping a slew of Fatah heavyweights including Mohammed Dahlan and Jibril Rajoub.

    The rift in Fatah would endanger the group's performance in the elections and leaders on both sides of the rift have been trying to merge the two lists and form a united front in the ballot during which Fatah is expected to face a grave challenge from the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).  Enditem