Extry! Extry! Convicted murderer to run for Palestinian president from prison cell! Read all about it! Barghouti Seeking Palestinian Presidency.

RAMALLAH, West Bank - Jailed Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti reversed an earlier decision and filed official papers Wednesday to run for the presidency to succeed the late Yasser Arafat, throwing Palestinian politics into disarray.

Adding to the turmoil, the Islamic militant group Hamas announced that it will boycott the Jan. 9 election, the first sign of open tensions with the interim Palestinian leadership since Arafat died in France on Nov. 11.

If Hamas’ tens of thousands of supporters abide by the boycott, it could undercut the legitimacy of the vote.

Barghouti’s candidacy will likely split the ruling Fatah movement, which has backed the candidacy of interim Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. Barghouti, a leader of the younger generation in Fatah, is more popular than the staid Abbas.

Barghouti’s campaign on Wednesday paid a $3,000 deposit required from independent candidates, said Saed Nimr, head of a group devoted to freeing Barghouti from an Israeli prison.

This is shaping up to be one humdinger of a Bizarro World election.