GAZA, April 23 (Xinhuanet) -- An opinion poll published Saturday showed that the majority of the Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip were opposed to postponing the legislative elections due to be held on July 17.

    The poll conducted last week by an independent research center in the Gaza Strip showed that more than 74 percent of the Palestinians opposed postponement of the elections and 16 percent supported a delay.

    The poll also showed that 61.2 percent thought that the postponement would weaken the present calmness period and 24.6 percent thought otherwise.

    Meanwhile, 34 percent of the respondents thought a postponement would serve the dominant Fatah movement, 18.3 percent thought it would serve the interests of law makers, and 14.4 percent thought it would serve the national interests of the Palestinian people.

    Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) has threatened to end calmness period agreed among various Palestinian factions inmid March if the elections were postponed.

    The militant group, which outperformed Fatah in Palestinian municipal elections early this year, has decided to participate in the parliamentary elections, the first of which it boycotted in 1996. Enditem