WikiNews, 26. januar 2006

Det palæstinensiske flag

This morning, Hamas leaders announced that they had an "outright majority" in the 132-seat Palestinian Legislative Council. "Hamas has won more than 70 seats in Gaza and the West Bank, which gives it more than 50 percent of the vote," said Ismail Haniyeh, a leader of Hamas.

Just hours after the statement, and based on results that Hamas supplied from representatives at polling stations, Prime Minister, Ahmed Qurei of Fatah and his cabinet submitted their resignations. "This is the choice of the people. It should be respected. If it's true, then the president should ask Hamas to form a new government," said Qurei. "For me, personally, I sent my resignation."

In order for Hamas to have a majority, they needed at least sixty-seven seats. Ismail Haniya, a senior Hamas leader, said they "expected to win at least 70 seats."

Although Qurei submitted his resignation, the party has not officially conceded defeat, but do acknowledge the claim ahead of official results.

Hamas' logo

Fatah has been in control of the Palestinian government for decades now, and on Wednesday, exit polls released after the polls closed, had shown that the Fatah party had a narrow lead in the elections.

Mushir al-Masri, who won the election said in regards to Israel, "negotiations with Israel are not on our agenda." He also stated, "recognizing Israel is not on the agenda either now."

Hamas also stated that it has no intentions of disarming and says, "Hamas does not plan to change even one word," in the groups charter, which calls for the destruction of its neighbor Israel.

The Central Election Commission said "the vote count had not been completed" and that it would "make an official announcement on Thursday evening."

Mahmoud Abbas, the current President of the Palestinian Authority, was not affected by the election results but has said that he, "might resign if unable to pursue a peace policy." Abbas has been the President of the Palestinian Authority for only a year.

Abbas is also expected to ask Hamas to form the new government.

Supporters for Hamas and Fatah battle

Hamas supporters raised their flag and rushed the Parliament after the news that the group won the election.

Both groups threw rocks and broke windows in the Parliament building as Fatah supporters tried to take down the green Hamas banners that were placed on the building. Thousands of Hamas supporters cheered and whistled as the green banners were raised again.

This is the first confrontation of the two groups since elections ended yesterday.

US/EU leaders shocked at results

Hamas is listed as a terrorist group by both the European Union and the United States State Department, and now will be the ruling faction of the Palestinian Authority. The preceding development has been nothing short of stunning to many prominent international leaders.

Nobel Prize winner Elie Wiesel was quoted today as saying "Hamas won..Hamas is surely not a democratic movement. Its ideas are surely not humanistic ideas. What do we do now?" United States Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice repeated the US/EU call for Hamas to reject violence and recgonize Israel, and reminded that the US still considers Hamas a terrorist group. Elmar Brok, a senior member of the EU Parliament, said that the EU may cut off aid to the Palestinians if Hamas institutionalizes terrorism once it takes control of the government.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair, speaking through a spokesman, stated that Britain "can only do business with people who renounce terrorism."

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was quoted as saying "It is a very, very, very bad result."

However, media and government outlets throughout the Middle East, such as Iran and Lebanon, praised the result of the elections. And some governments such as Sweden and Japan praised the democratic system at work in Palestine. Sweden's Foreign Minister Laila Frievalds said that the elections were a " a protest against those in power who have not done enough, a reaction to the incapacity to lead the political process forward," though she stated Sweden's commitment to the EU's call for Hamas to end its violent ways if peace negotiations can continue.

Ayyoub Muhanna, 29, who owns a spare parts shop in Lebanon said; "This is a victory to all the region’s free people; the Palestinians gave their vote to the party that gave of its blood."