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17-12-2005, 16:51
17/12/2005
Hamas swept 73 percent of the vote in the West Bank's largest city, Nablus, one of three major towns and cities in which it won local elections, according to preliminary results released Friday.
The victory deals a harsh blow to the ruling Fatah party just six weeks ahead of the January 25 parliamentary poll.
"We didn't think for a moment that Hamas would win so many votes," said Issam Abu Bakher, Fatah's chief in the Nablus region. "The earth shook under our feet, and this will have an effect on the parliament (elections)."
Yasser Mansour, Hamas' spokesman for the northern West Bank, said Hamas
planned to purge the cities it controls of corruption. "If we succeed, we will be re-elected," he said.
Thousands of jubilant Hamas supporters celebrated in the streets of Nablus late Thursday, where the 73-percent victory gave the Islamic movement 13 seats on the 15-member council. The two remaining seats went to a coalition of Fatah and independent candidates.
In Jenin, Hamas won eight seats, while a coalition between Fatah and the radical Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine garnered just
seven. In Al-Bireh, a large suburb on the outskirts of Ramallah, Hamas won 72 percent of the vote, grabbing nine seats, to Fatah's four. The PFLP and independents took the last two seats on Al-Bireh's 15-member council.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/657860.html
Hamas swept 73 percent of the vote in the West Bank's largest city, Nablus, one of three major towns and cities in which it won local elections, according to preliminary results released Friday.
The victory deals a harsh blow to the ruling Fatah party just six weeks ahead of the January 25 parliamentary poll.
"We didn't think for a moment that Hamas would win so many votes," said Issam Abu Bakher, Fatah's chief in the Nablus region. "The earth shook under our feet, and this will have an effect on the parliament (elections)."
Yasser Mansour, Hamas' spokesman for the northern West Bank, said Hamas
planned to purge the cities it controls of corruption. "If we succeed, we will be re-elected," he said.
Thousands of jubilant Hamas supporters celebrated in the streets of Nablus late Thursday, where the 73-percent victory gave the Islamic movement 13 seats on the 15-member council. The two remaining seats went to a coalition of Fatah and independent candidates.
In Jenin, Hamas won eight seats, while a coalition between Fatah and the radical Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine garnered just
seven. In Al-Bireh, a large suburb on the outskirts of Ramallah, Hamas won 72 percent of the vote, grabbing nine seats, to Fatah's four. The PFLP and independents took the last two seats on Al-Bireh's 15-member council.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/657860.html