Following its sweeping victory in the Palestinian parliamentary elections, the radical Islamic Hamas organization said Thursday it would seek to hold talks on forming a coalition, but Fatah officials rejected the possibility of joining a Hamas-led government.

Final results released on Thursday evening by the Palestinian Central Election Commission showed Hamas won 76 seats in 132-seat parliament, with the Fatah garnering only 43 seats. The thirteen remaining seats went to several smaller parties and independents.

"We are convinced we will be partners with the other factions," said a Hamas official. "We will study the issue of forming a government after consultations with the Palestinian leadership."

	Advertisement

"Hamas will be asked to form the new government," said Fatah official and Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat after a meeting with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. "We in Fatah will not join them. We will be a loyal opposition and rebuild the party."

Senior Fatah official Jibril Rajoub said Thursday that the Fatah won't join a coalition government under any condition. "The Palestinian people has expressed its will and the decision must be respected," he said.

But Palestinian Information Minister Nabil Sha'ath said Fatah leaders would meet at 5 P.M. Thursday to decide on the party's future - whether to join a Hamas-led government or serve in opposition.

Hamas overall leader Khaled Mashaal called Abbas from Syria, where he is in exile, to discuss the outcome of the vote, and told him that the Islamic militant group is ready for a political partnership.

The results show that Hamas has captured almost all of the 16 constituencies in the West Bank and Gaza, in particular the Jerusalem district, where Hamas won all four seats allocated for Muslim candidates. Two seats are also reserved for Christian delegates in Jerusalem.

Abbas, who also heads Fatah, called on the Palestinians on Thursday to honor the results.

Abbas is to address the Palestinian people in a televised speech to be broadcast once the official results have been announced. As leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Abbas would still remain in charge of negotiations with Israel.

Hamas ready to extend cease-fire
As news of the results started to trickle in, Hamas senior officials began outlining the organization's policy as the ruling Palestinian faction. Senior Hamas official Mahmoud al-Zahar said Thursday he was ready to maintain a cease-fire with Israel forged last February if Israel does likewise, but that the Islamic group will respond to Israeli attacks.

"If they are going to continue commitment to what is called quietness, then we will continue," he said in an interview with The Associated Press Television News. "But if not, then I think we will have no option, but to protect our people and our land."

Asked if a Hamas-run government would enter peace talks with Israel, Zahar said there that even prior to his party's apparent election success, there had been no movement toward peace and therefore, there is no point to hold dialogue at this time.

"We have no peace process," he said. "We are not going to mislead our people to tell them we are waiting, meeting, for a peace process that is nothing."

Zahar said the fact that senior Hamas officials, many of them in Gaza, would be unable to cross Israeli lines to reach Palestinian government headquarters in the West Bank town of Ramallah would not prevent them from taking part in decision-making, as many members of the outgoing parliament had been in the same position.

"They are running an administration through video-conferencing," he said. "We are going to continue this policy."

He promised a complete overhaul of Palestinian public services and administration.

"We are going to change every aspect, as regards the economy, as regards industry, as regards agriculture, as regards social aid, as regards health, administration, education," he said.

PA cabinet resigns
Members of the Palestinian Cabinet submitted their resignations Thursday in the wake of the Hamas victory, Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia's office said.

"This is the choice of the people. It should be respected," Qureia said. "If it's true, then the president should ask Hamas to form a new government."

The cabinet remains in office in a caretaker capacity.

The resignations were in part a formality required after an election, but the timing of the move - hours before the release of official results - was unexpected.

Under Palestinian law, Abbas must now ask the party that holds a majority in the legislature to form a new government.

As Hamas' victory in the election became evident, the organization reiterated early Thursday its vow to maintain its struggle against Israel.

"On one hand, we will maintain the agenda of resistance," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said from Gaza. "On the other hand we seek to make change and reform in the Palestinian arena."

Hamas takes most districts
Hamas won 76 of the 132 parliament seats, while Fatah won a mere 43 seats.

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, or PFLP, won three seats. Badil, a coalition of small PLO factions, won two seats.

Independent Palestine, a party headed by human rights campaigner Mustafa Bargouti, got two seats.

The Third Way, a party led by former Finance Minister Salam Fayyad, won two seats.

Four independent candidates, including three backed by Hamas, were also elected.

Wednesday's election was split into a vote for 66 seats for local districts and 66 for a national ballot.

According to figures obtained by Haaretz, Hamas won 45 out of the 66 parliamentary seats available on the local districts lists. Fatah obtained only 17 of the seats.

In the West Bank, Hamas won all nine seats in the Hebron district, four of the five seats in Ramallah (the fifth seat is reserved for a Christian delegate), and captured the majority of seats in Nablus, Jenin, Qalqilyah, Tul Karm and Salfit.

In the Gaza Strip, Hamas was the sole victor in the northern, Gaza City and Dir al-Balah districts. The group won four of the five seats in Khan Yunis, where Fatah candidate Mohammed Dahlan apparently won the fifth seat. Fatah won the majority of seats in Rafah.

An exit poll released Wednesday night had indicated that Fatah won 58 seats in the elections, followed closely by Hamas with 53 seats.

Related articles: