Former US president Jimmy Carter will help monitor the Palestinians' January 9 elections, spokeswoman Deanna Congileo told AFP.

"That's correct," Congileo said when asked about Carter's role in the vote. "The National Democratic Institute (NDI), with which the Carter Center is partnering for this project, will be releasing more details next week."

NDI spokeswoman Mariah Sieber would not confirm whether former secretary of state Madeleine Albright (news - web sites), who heads the organization, would also serve as an election observer.

"I can't confirm the delegation right now because we're finalizing it, but we will have a statement on Sunday probably," Sieber told AFP.

The NDI is a non-profit organization that has supervised elections and other political processes in some 52 countries.

Palestinians head to the polls next month to elect a successor to lead the Palestinian Authority following the death last month of Yasser Arafat.

A total of eight candidates are vying for the slot, with Palestinian Liberation Organization chief Mahmud Abbas a leading candidate.