BBC - Fatah 'ahead' in Palestinian poll

[Englander]

Friday, 6 May, 2005, 01:32 GMT 02:32 UK

The Fatah movement founded by Yasser Arafat is in the lead over militant Islamist movement Hamas in Palestinian local elections, exit polls suggest.

An unnamed election official told reporters Fatah had won around 60% of the votes counted so far.

Fatah supporters in the Gaza town of Rafah have already begun celebrating.

Hamas, which also appeared to have a strong showing and trounced Fatah in the first round of voting in Gaza, said it was too early to concede defeat.

More at;
BBC News

[Resolution_242]

1. Radicals seem to be winning Local Palestinain elections

"Landslide Win For Hamas in Gaza" (Jan 28, '05)

Unofficial results in Gaza local elections award Hamas terrorists two-thirds of the seats…

…An Arab survey center's exit polls gave Hamas victory in three of four districts in Gaza. Hamas also showed strength in the recent elections in Samaria in which it won more than a third of local council seats. Thursday's voter turnout in the first-ever Gaza elections was more than 80 per cent.

…A significant Hamas victory was in the Bet Hanoun area in northern Gaza where terrorists have launched dozens of Kassam rockets against Israel. Fatah apparently won in a central Gaza town next to the Jewish community of Netzarim…

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=76060

[Resolution_242]

2. more

"PA Television: We Haven't Given Up on Netanya and Tel Aviv" (Feb 09, '05)

Though he reiterated his promise at the Sharm el-Sheikh ceremony, Abu Mazen's commitment to halt incitement to violence and hatred on official PA TV was already violated this past Friday.

In late January, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) toured PA Television studios, instructing the director to tone down incitement as well as programs heaping praise upon him. Just this past Friday, a sermon was aired on PA TV outlining the planned destruction of the Jewish State.

Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) has translated the sermon into English and publicized it.

PMW Director Itamar Marcus explained: “The Palestinian Authority, in its Arabic messages to its people, has always denied Israel's right to exist and has often presented the peace process as a tactic leading to Israel's destruction. This goal was repeated Friday, on the Palestinian Authority television, in the official sermon.”

The sermon was delivered by senior Islamic Imam Ibrahim Mudyris. The Imam explained that the limitation of the diplomatic process is that it can only conquer up to Israel’s 1967 borders. He said that at a later stage the PA will achieve its goal of bringing about the complete destruction of Israel - the “return to the 1948 borders” and the towns of “Haifa, Jaffa, Lod, Ramla, Natanyah and Tel Aviv .”...

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=76620

[Resolution_242]

3. another

"Hamas Makes Gains In College Elections" (Mar 16, 2005)

http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/am/publish/article_10930.shtml


"Landslide Victory For The Islamic Bloc In Students' Election" (Mar 15, 2005)

Gaza - The Islamic bloc, the academic wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, has scored a landslide victory in the Islamic University's students' council elections that was held last Monday.

The Islamic bloc captured the male students' council's seats with 78.4% of the total eligible male voters, while Fatah youths bloc got 15.5%, and the Islamic group 4.2% of the votes.

In the meantime, the Islamic bloc won the female students' council's seats with 88.8% of the total eligible female voters, while Fatah youths got 5.6%, and the Islamic group won 5.5% of the votes.

"This is the highest rate we have ever won since the University was established; in this regard we would like to extend our gratitude to the University's administration for their efforts to make the election process successful,” Mohammad Ali Awad, the new council's president-elect stated…

http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/am/publish/article_10917.shtml

[Resolution_242]

4. another

"Hamas Trounces Fatah in Hevron University" (Mar 16, '05 / 5 Adar 5765)

The Hamas terrorist organization today continued to display increasing popularity and won almost twice as many seats on the Hevron University as the Fatah party, which is the majority faction in the Palestinian Authority (PA). Hamas won 25 council seats, while Fatah won only 13. The Islamic Jihad terror group won three seats. The campaign in Hevron University broke out into violence last week when eight people were injured in a fracas between Fatah and Hamas supporters.

Hamas recently swept the elections in Gaza villages and won more than one-third of the vote in small towns in Samaria. Their success in the elections was a major factor towards its recent decision to participate in the PA legislative elections this July.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=78552

[Resolution_242]

5. Jpost/May 8

"Hamas Emerges As Political Force In Wake Of Municipal Elections"
Khaled Abu Toameh (May. 8, 2005)

Unofficial results of the local elections show that Hamas has won nearly a third of the cities and villages in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, turning the Islamic movement into a significant political power that could pose a serious challenge to the ruling Fatah faction.

Analysts in Ramallah summed up the results by concluding that while Fatah had moved one step forward, Hamas had made three steps in the same direction.

Hamas's most important achievements were in the Gaza Strip, where the movement's candidates won the elections in areas that had been traditional Fatah strongholds such as Rafah, al-Buriej and Beit Lahiya.

Altogether, Hamas won between 65-70 percent of the votes in seven areas in the Gaza Strip. Hamas supporters also scored significant achievements in the West Bank, especially in Kalkilya, Bethlehem and the Hebron area.

Fatah leaders were visibly disturbed on Saturday by the strong showing of Hamas, particularly in the Gaza Strip.

Some of them openly challenged the Hamas victory by accusing the movement of cheating during the vote.

A Fatah leader said that the growing power of Hamas should sound an alarm bell ahead of Israel's planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. "The Gaza Strip will be controlled by Hamas and Islamic Jihad after the Israelis leave," he said. "Their power will grow when Palestinians realize that the Gaza Strip has been turned into a big prison after the withdrawal."

Fatah officials blame Israel for the rise in Hamas's power, arguing that military raids and travel restrictions during more than four years of fighting had driven many Palestinians into the open arms of radical groups. This, they note, is in addition to the lack of progress on the political track and the failure of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to improve the conditions of most Palestinians.

Abbas is now under intense pressure from his Fatah party to postpone the elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council, due to be held on July 17, for fear that Hamas would further strengthen its political power.

Buoyed by the results of the local elections, Hamas has strongly rejected any attempt to delay the parliamentary vote.

Fatah leaders have been holding secret talks with their Hamas counterparts in a bid to persuade them to agree to a postponement under the pretext that the elections fall close to the date when Israel is scheduled to start leaving the Gaza Strip.

Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar says his movement recently turned down an offer from the PA to join a national unity cabinet in return for agreeing to the postponement of the legislative elections.

Like many Hamas activists, Zahar is well aware of the fact that Hamas has a good chance of winning enough seats in the parliament to allow it to join any future cabinet and participate in decision-making.

With Hamas lawmakers, ministers and mayors breathing down his neck, it's hard to see how Abbas would be able to move ahead with the peace process, let alone agree to any concessions.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1115434040836

[drdon326]

6. Slow down...I cant read that fast.

its really freightening the political power hamas has achieved with the obvious support of the palestinian people.

[Darranar]

7. Have you ever asked why? n/t

[drdon326]

8. No comment.

.

[Colorado Blue]

9. It could be worse! They could have won 70% and Fatah,

30%.

Maybe, when they get into office, they will get buried in paperwork?

It could happen:)