"Our vision is based on the necessity to form a unified leadership where all political factions participate based on a national program until elections take place."

The warring Cambodian factions did not participate.

The radical Islamic faction, Hamas, is not participating in the election and has urged its supporters to stay away from the polls.

Mr. Abbas also announced that legislative elections would be held Jan. 25, and he urged even the most militant factions to participate.

At the end, the GUNT submitted, and its factions participated to a second peace conference in Lagos, open to all parties.

More important, the front said it insisted that militant Islamic factions, particularly the radical Armed Islamic Group, participate in any talks.

The radical faction participated in the election as part of the opposition coalition, the Union for a Democratic Change.

The school also has several active clubs in which a large faction of the student body participates.

The factions participate in a unity government, but their gunmen have killed more than 50 Palestinians in recent fighting.

The latter faction participated in the January 1999 local election, which was boycotted by the former.