Giant Steps in Palestinians' Trip to Polls

RAMALLAH, West Bank — Never mind that the winner appears a foregone conclusion or that the blink-of-an-eye campaign included not a single direct debate among candidates. As Palestinians head to the polls today to choose a president, they are flush with the sense of democracy in the making, if tempered in their hopes that the historic vote will significantly improve their lives.

"We are enthusiastic about the election because we hope there might be change," said Amal Shkeir, 30, a West Bank villager who was in Ramallah for medical tests.

Her husband, Yusef, used to be a construction worker in Israel, but that job was ended by the grinding conflict with Israel that began in 2000. These days, he snares sporadic work in the West Bank but says the family's fortunes have fallen to "zero." The couple might have to borrow to pay for Amal's CT scan to pinpoint the cause of a neurological problem.

But both said the vote had raised their aspirations. "We are not alone in being excited about the election," Amal said. "Everybody is."

The head of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Mahmoud Abbas, is widely favored to defeat six rivals in the first election for Palestinian Authority president since Yasser Arafat, who died in November, prevailed over token opposition in 1996. The balloting comes amid a whirl of electoral activity in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. During coming months, municipal elections will resume in hundreds of cities, towns and villages, and a separate campaign for the Palestinian parliament is planned for summer.

Polls suggest that Palestinians are generally satisfied with how the presidential election is being conducted and expectant that the post-Arafat period will yield changes.

"They are searching for peace," said Ayoub Mustafa, a researcher at the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research. "People here think that maybe the election will change what happens on the ground."

Yet amid the lofty talk of historic turning points and evolving democracy, ordinary Palestinians exhausted by the violence also voice a weary-sounding refrain. They say their hopes for change are clouded by doubts that Abbas or another candidate can reach peace with Israel and dramatically improve their lives any time soon.

It will be enough, they say, if the new president succeeds in persuading Israel to ease travel restrictions and military raids in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Israel plans to withdraw from Gaza this year.