Are people getting fed up of violence by Hamas? Some green offshoots of hope!
The ruling Palestinian movement Fatah held off on Friday a challenge from the radical Islamists of Hamas in a fresh round of elections in the West Bank where more deadly violence flared.
Hamas, looking to break into the political mainstream while still pursuing its armed campaign against Israel, failed to make significant inroads during elections which were held in 104 municipalities on Thursday.
Preliminary results, announced on Friday by elections chief Jamal Shobaki, showed Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas’s Fatah faction had won 51 of the councils while Hamas had gained control of only 13 in an 81-per cent turnout.
The results will be a disappointment for Hamas, robbing it of some of the momentum that it had built up during its strong showing in previous rounds of local elections. Hamas is planning to field candidates in January’s legislative elections for the first time despite threats from Israel to hamper the polls in the occupied West Bank if the movement, which does not recognise the Jewish state’s right to exist, participates. Commentators, however, played down the wider implications of the results of the latest elections largely held in villages, saying local issues and tribal affiliations were the main factor in determining how people voted.
"The tribal factor played a primary role. The main factor was the municipal services being promised by different candidates and the political dimension did not really feature in the minds of the electorate," political analyst Zakaria al-Qaq told AFP.
"The results cannot serve as an indicator for the outcome of the legislative elections." Instead, the fourth and final phase of the municipal elections in December, which will see voters cast their ballots in the main cities of the West Bank and Gaza, will be a "more important political radar", the analyst added. |
