GAZA Palestinian President Yassir Arafat will leave Monday for Jordan to meet King Abdullah and discuss the latest developments in the stalled Middle East peace process, his spokesman said Saturday. Spokesman Nabil Abu Rodayna said Arafat and the monarch "will discuss ways of saving the deteriorating peace process, as well as the rights of the Palestinians to declare a state on May 4." Abu Rodayna said that starting from April 6, Arafat will begin a tour of Asia, visiting Russia, Japan, China and India. He will meet with these countries' leaders to discuss the declaration of an independent Palestinian state on May 4, Abu Rodayna said.

Over the last few weeks, Arafat has visited most Arab countries, Europe, the United States and Canada as well as Asia, as part of his campaign to earn support for the Palestinian state. The majority of those with whom he met advised him to postpone the declaration, at least until the Israeli elections on May 17. (DPA)