Humane-Rights-Agenda Report: Victory for Hamas!

http://humane-rights-agenda.blogspot.com/2006/01/humane-rights-agenda-report-victory.html
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Hamas, Fatah battle over election results: 1/27/2006
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060127/ts_nm/mideast_dc

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

GAZA (Reuters) - Hamas and Fatah gunmen exchanged fire on Friday in political turmoil as the long-dominant Palestinian faction was threatened with a violent backlash to its crushing election defeat by the Islamic militant group.

Hamas, whose shock parliamentary election victory changed the face of Palestinian politics and put Middle East peacemaking deeper in limbo, said it would hold talks soon with President Mahmoud Abbas on "political partnership."

But Fatah leaders have rejected a coalition with Hamas and thousands of Fatah supporters, including gunmen firing into the air, marched in the Gaza Strip in protest at the idea. Thousands of Hamas backers celebrated their victory in separate rallies.

The militant al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, part of Fatah, issued a statement threatening to "liquidate" the faction's leaders if they changed their minds and joined a Hamas-led administration.

Acknowledging Hamas's new standing as a political powerhouse, Abbas told reporters: "We are consulting and in contact with all the Palestinian groups and definitely, at the appropriate time, the biggest party will form the cabinet."

In the first armed clash between Hamas and Fatah militants since Wednesday's vote, three people were wounded in a gun battle near the southern city of Khan Younis, witnesses said.

The violence erupted, they said, after Hamas militants were angered by a sermon by a Fatah-appointed Muslim preacher during Friday prayers.

With Middle East peace talks frozen since 2000, Israel ruled out negotiations with any Palestinian administration involving Hamas, which is sworn to Israel's destruction and has been behind dozens of suicide bombings.

Israeli interim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert repeated that message, along with a U.S.-backed peace "road map's" call for the disarming of Palestinian gunmen, in telephone conversations with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Jordan's King Abdullah, Olmert's office said.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Israel threw into doubt its willingness to continue the transfer of customs revenue to an aid-dependent Palestinian Authority.

"We will face practical problems of how you deal with people that call for the destruction of Israel," said Joseph Bachar, director general of the Israeli Finance Ministry.

Palestinian Economy Minister Mazen Sinokrot, sitting on the same panel as Bachar, said the Israeli transfers amounted to monthly revenues exceeding $40 million to $50 million, money needed to help pay salaries for 135,000 government employees.

DIVIDED OPINION

An opinion poll in Israel's Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper showed 48 percent of Israelis favoured talking to a Hamas-led Palestinian government, while 43 percent were opposed.

Israel holds a general election on March 28 and Olmert, whose centrist Kadima party is the front-runner, has hinted at unilateral moves to set a border with the Palestinians on Israeli terms.

Israel has already pulled its settlers out of the Gaza Strip without negotiations, citing the current Palestinian government's failure to rein in militants.

"In the Gaza disengagement, Israel opened a window of opportunity. With these elections, the Palestinians have slammed it shut," Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told reporters in Tel Aviv.

Speaking in Damascus, Moussa Abu Marzouk, a senior Hamas official, said the movement had a "clear vision for a government of unity -- one in which everyone joins."

But some 10,000 Fatah supporters, including gunmen who fired in the air, marched in a series of rallies in the central Gaza Strip in rejection of a coalition with Hamas and Fatah's veteran leadership.

"Corrupt Fatah leaders who caused the election defeat must resign. Fatah must renew itself," a protester shouted through a loudspeaker.

In a sea of Islamic green flags and hats, some 20,000 Hamas supporters held a celebration rally in Khan Younis refugee camp.

Hamas's capture of 76 seats in the 132-member parliament against 43 for Fatah was widely seen as a political earthquake in the Middle East, triggered by voter disenchantment with corruption and the failure of peace efforts.

Ismail Haniyeh, who headed Hamas's list of candidates, said in Gaza City he had telephoned Abbas and they had agreed to meet when the president visits the city in about two days.

"We will talk about several issues including the shape of the political partnership in the coming stage," he told Reuters.

In remarks to reporters later in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Abbas made no reference to a meeting with Haniyeh.

At a news conference in Washington on Thursday, U.S. President George W. Bush said "a political party that articulates the destruction of Israel as part of a platform is a party with which we will not deal."

Hamas has mostly respected a truce for nearly a year, but says it will not give up its guns or its charter demand for an Islamic state to encompass Israel, the West Bank and Gaza.

(Additional reporting by Wafa Amr and Mohammed Assadi in Ramallah)
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Friday, 27 January 2006
MIDEAST: HAMAS VICTORY CASTS SHADOW ON PEACE
http://www.ipsterraviva.net/Europe/article.aspx?id=2906

by Fawzia Sheikh

JERUSALEM (IPS) - The Palestinian militant group Hamas has won an apparent victory in parliamentary elections. The win shocked the ruling Fatah party and has raised concerns about the future of the peace process, and about Palestine relations with an international community that regards Hamas as a terrorist organisation.

Although the election -- the first parliamentary elections in 10 years -- was held Wednesday in East Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, the Central Elections Commission-Palestine had not announced official results by Thursday evening.

Preliminary reports said that Hamas had won the majority of 132 parliamentary seats. Opinion polls this month had predicted a close race for the two main contenders, Fatah and Hamas.

The Israeli government has voiced concern in recent days about the possibility of Hamas sweeping the election or at least winning a sizeable number of seats.

Officials said Israel would refuse to deal with any member of Hamas, which is an armed political group that openly advocates the destruction of Israel, and has repeatedly refused to discuss a peace agreement.

Hamas has over the years carried out suicide bombing attacks that have killed hundreds of Israelis.

Israel and the Palestinian Authority, which was previously run by former leader Yasser Arafat's party Fatah, had been working together over the last few years to finally forge peace between Israelis and Palestinians on the controversial issue of land they both believe they have god-given right to.

Western governments, realising Hamas had won a startling victory, warned the terrorist group that it must relinquish arms and take up the cause of peace between Palestinians and Israelis. Hamas members had said Wednesday that maintaining the group's militant character and governing Palestine were not mutually exclusive.

There was mixed reaction meanwhile to the defeat for Fatah.

In the West Bank town of Ramallah, where Palestinians celebrated by taking part in flag-waving political rallies and firing in the air, 20-year-old student Mehran Hamed was happy about Hamas's success.

Hamed believes it will spell a better future for all Palestinians who have endured years of corruption under Fatah. The party has been accused of mismanaging funds and allowing lawlessness to reign in the Palestinian territories. He said Hamas, which has in the past won accolades for its charity work among Palestinians, will invest in social programmes like education and health care.

"We tested Fatah but they're not good," Hamed said. "So many things they did wrong."

Hamed rejects any description of Hamas as a band of terrorists, saying instead that they are "from our society, our place. They're part of us." He doubts the new Palestinian government of Hamas will make peace with Israel.

The young Muslim university student says the possible imposition of Islamic law will be beneficial because that is what all Muslims believe.

Sentiments were markedly different across town in the Old City neighbourhood of east Jerusalem where many Palestinian Christians live and work.

"There is a big difference between policy and regime," said shop owner Elias Yanni, 31. "Hamas has only religion; it doesn't have policy. It's not good for religion and politics to mix."

Yanni said the European community and the United States will not wish to work with the fledgling Palestinian government. He said western nations could curtail aid, on which Palestinians depend heavily.

Because Hamas believes in fighting, he said, it will not work towards peace with Israel. "How can we live with war?"

Many Palestinian Christians are becoming quickly anxious about the possibility that Sharia law will be implemented, even though not all Palestinians are Muslim. Yanni is concerned that ultra-religious Hamas figures may clamp down on practices like drinking alcohol or mingling freely with the opposite sex.

"They will take away my democracy," said Yanni, concerned that though he has freedoms as an Israeli resident in east Jerusalem, he will be subjected to restrictions while visiting friends in Bethlehem or Ramallah.

"No peace. No negotiations with Israelis. The Europeans will not help us. It will be worse than it was before," he said.

Conflicting news reports since polls closed about Hamas's next steps have compounded the confusion and uncertainty among Palestinians.

Sima Kuhail, a 22-year-old architect in Ramallah, said she voted for Fatah because of its aspirations to achieve peace with Israel, but said also that perhaps Hamas's victory may be good for all.

Kuhail said she is not afraid of Islamic law being implemented in the territories. "They can force women, but I don't think they will," she said. "Islam is about free will. If I'm not wearing an Islamic dress, I'll wait for God to punish me, not political parties." (END)
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Fatah Party: Hamas Wins Palestinian Vote =from AP
http://www.palestinemonitor.org/nueva_web/updates_news/news/hamas_wins.htm

January 26, 2006

RAMALLAH, West Bank - The Islamic militant group Hamas said Thursday it won control of the Palestinian parliament and officials from the ruling Fatah Party confirmed the estimate — though Palestinian election officials delayed the release of preliminary official results.

The claim by Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was based on reporting by Hamas activists who observed the counting in the polling stations, the group said. He said Hamas had won about 70 seats, enough for a majority in the 132-seat parliament.

The outcome, if confirmed, would mean that Hamas will form the next Palestinian government and could jeopardize the Mideast peace process.

Officials with Fatah also said that Hamas had won about 70 seats, which would give the Islamists a majority in the 132-seat parliament. They spoke on condition of anonymity because counting in some districts was continuing.

Palestinian officials delayed the release of official results from the Palestinian legislative vote until the end of the day. Results, initially scheduled to be announced at 9 a.m., will now be released at 7 p.m., the Palestinian Central Election Commission said. It gave no reason for the delay.
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Large turnout marks Palestinian polls =from Al-Jazeera
http://www.palestinemonitor.org/nueva_web/updates_news/news/election_day.htm

January 25, 2006

Palestinians are voting in large numbers in the first legislative elections in a decade, with the ruling Fatah party facing an unprecedented challenge to its grip on power from Hamas.

Voting opened across the Gaza Strip and the West Bank at 7am (0500 GMT) on Wednesday against a backdrop of massive security in place.

Initial results were expected shortly after the close of polling at 7 pm (1700 GMT).

About 1.34 million residents of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and annexed East Jerusalem are entitled to cast their ballots in an election whose outcome promises to have a profound impact on the future course of the Middle East.

All Palestinian political factions, except the Islamic Jihad Movement, are participating in the elections, Aljazeera's correspondent Jivara al-Budairi said.


Hebron

Al-Budairi reported that 300 Israeli settlers guarded by Israeli occupation forces were controlling the entire old part of the city.

The forces prevented some 5500 voters from casting their votes by not allowing the opening of polling stations. Some headed out of the city to cast their votes in other polling booths.

There were no incidents in Hebron. Also, Palestinian police were not allowed to enter the city to guard any of the polling stations.

According to observers, there has been an unprecedented turnout of voters.

Jimmy Carter, the former US president present as an observer in the town of Bait Numer in northern Hebron, confirmed that the process was fair and going on orderly.

Hiba Akila, Aljazeera's correspondent in Gaza, reported that voting was calm and smooth.

Voters had flocked to the polling centres. Most markets remained closed and people were queuing at polling stations, the correspondent reported.

Satisfaction

Aljazeera's bureau chief in Palestine Walid al-Umari, reporting from Ram Allah, said there had been no news of obstacles to voting in that area.

Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, cast his vote and expressed satisfaction with the progress of the electoral process. However, he referred to some difficulties due to Israeli measures in Jerusalem and at some of the checkpoints.

Some Palestinian armed men at the Balata refugee camp cast their votes after handing over their arms before entering the polling centre.

That implied that the resistance groups were abiding by the law, al-Umari said.

Iron fist

Members of Hamas could be seen welcoming voters into the polling stations as the doors opened in the Islamists' Gaza Strip stronghold.

In the West Bank, small queues had formed outside schools and other public buildings across the territory where voting was to take place.

Abbas earlier told security forces to respond with an "iron fist" to anyone who attempted to disrupt the vote. All the main armed factions have pledged to ensure that the vote is carried through peacefully.

In an election-eve message to the Palestinian people, Abbas said the vote would serve as a decisive step on the path to statehood and pave the way for a new era of political pluralism and democracy.

"This great day will be of historic significance, a decisive step on the road to freedom and independence," he said.

The Palestinian leadership is well aware that a successful exercise in democracy will enhance the cause for statehood, with hundreds of international observers present to oversee the ballot.

A real threat

Fatah, the movement founded by the late Yasser Arafat more than 40 years ago, faces a real threat of losing its majority in parliament.

Polls indicate that Hamas is likely to run it a close second.

Nabil Shaath, Fatah's campaign manager and outgoing deputy prime minister, expressed confidence this week that the party would win a "large majority".

But an election-eve poll by the Near East Consulting Institute, based in Ram Allah, forecast Fatah would win only 59 out of the 132 seats, five more than Hamas, with the rest split between minor parties and independents.

Half the deputies will be elected on lists while the remainder will be voted for in 16 constituencies.

Hamas has been seeking to cash in on voter disillusionment with Fatah over the stalled peace process, widespread corruption and by saying its fighters forced Israel to pull out of Gaza last summer.

The possibility of a Hamas win, or strong enough showing to secure a seat in cabinet, has prompted warnings from Israel that it will not deal with a Palestinian government which includes a "terrorist organisation".

Hamas, which refuses to recognise Israel's right to exist and has been behind the majority of attacks in a five-year uprising, continues to advocate the use of violence while fielding its first parliamentary candidates.

Israeli fears

In a speech on Tuesday, Ehud Olmert, the acting prime minister of Israel, also hailed the vote as a historic opportunity for the Palestinians to move towards their goal of independence.

But he said they must decide whether to take their destiny in hand or again let the "extremists" take control.

"Tomorrow's elections are a historic opportunity for the Palestinian people and a step towards their objective of reaching national independence," he said.
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