The Conservative Party's foreign affairs critic, Stockwell Day, is denying accusations that he refused to send condolences for Arafat's death because of rumours that the former Palestinian leader died of AIDS.

"Some of you have asked why I have not released a statement of condolence or sympathy," Day said in an e-mail to party colleagues obtained by The Canadian Press.

"As you know, there are two sides to the Arafat story. You pick."

The e-mail attached an article by conservative commentator David Frum in Frontpage Magazine that looks at Arafat's violent past and refers to AIDS rumours.

"Consider just this one fact,'' Frum said in the Nov. 4 article. "The world media's astonishing lack of curiosity about the nature of the disease for which he sought treatment in France.

"These symptoms sound remarkably AIDS-like, don't they?''

Day told The Globe and Mail that his decision not to send condolences was not related to whether Arafat had AIDS or not.

"No. I was just saying there are two schools of thought about Yasser Arafat: one that he was a great statesman and a help to the Palestinian people, and one that reflects on his terrorist background and that he wasn't a help," he said. "It was reference to two schools of thought."

Geoff Norquay, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper's communications director said, "In our party's view, the passing of Mr. Arafat raises the possibility for a new generation of leadership in the Palestinian Authority that is dedicated to a genuine and lasting peace in the Middle East,'' Norquay said.

Arafat's nephew Nasser al-Kidwa said Monday that medical records do not reveal signs of poisoning nor a clear diagnosis for Arafat's death on Nov. 11.

Al-Kidwa, also Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations, took possession of the records on behalf of the Palestinian Authority on Monday despite objections from Arafat's widow Suha.

With files from The Canadian Press