GAZA, March 24 (Xinhuanet) -- Islamic resistance movement Hamas senior leader Sa'eed Seyam announced on Wednesday that there is no need for an internal election in Hamas after Abdel Aziz Ranteesi was chosen to be the leader of the movement in the Gaza Strip.

    "There is no need for election after the assassination of SheikhAhmed Yassin because Abdel Aziz Ranteesi was elected when Sheikh Yassin was alive as a deputy to the Sheikh," said Seyam.

    He said that electing Ranteesi as a deputy to Yassin "was not declared for security reasons," adding that the election took place about three weeks ago in Gaza, "but it was not publicly declared."

    "Because of the occupation policy of targeting the movement's top leaders and because of security reasons, it was not announced at that time that Ranteesi was elected as a deputy to Yassin," saidSeyam.

    He said that "it was natural that Ranteesi would automatically become the leader of the movement in the Gaza Strip as he was a deputy to Sheikh Yassin." Enditem