GAZA, Nov. 28 (Xinhuanet) -- Well-informed Palestinian sources said on Monday that Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who also heads the ruling Fatah movement, might hand-pick some Fatah candidates to run in the upcoming legislative elections.

   The sources said Abbas might interfere in the movement's primaries to elect candidates for the parliamentary ballot in order to beef up Fatah's chance to win the hotly-contested elections.

   Fatah, long-dominant in the Palestinian political life, has met with a grave challenge from the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in the coming legislative poll due on Jan. 25.

   Fatah held primaries in most areas of the Gaza Strip areas on Monday as voting centers opened at around 8:00 a.m. (0600 GMT) and will close at 5:00 p.m. (1500 GMT) and 200,000 of Fatah members in Gaza are expected to cast their votes.

   According to the highest central committee for the Fatah primaries, 326 Fatah members are running in the primaries in Gaza, and 49 will be elected as the movement's candidates for the January legislative elections.

   Prominent Fatah leader in Gaza Mohammed Dahlan, who resigned his position as Minister of Civilian Affairs on Sunday in order to stand in the legislative race, is expected to garner wide support in Monday's vote.

   Primaries were held in the West Bank on Friday and the young generation of Fatah claimed victory but some veterans criticized the ballot for massive fraud. Enditem