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GAZA, Jan. 26 (Xinhuanet) -- In the Palestinian streets in Gaza
City, Fatah supporters were sad, shocked and disappointed after hearing the news
that the ruling party was beaten by Hamas in the Jan. 25 parliamentary
elections.
The result is really hard to swallow for them, because they were
celebrating Fatah's victory Wednesday evening but woke up to a bitter defeat the
next morning.
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| Hamas supporters celebrate the results of
the Palestinian election in Khan Younis, south of Gaza Strip Jan. 26.
(Reuters) | After all polling
stations were closed Wednesday evening, exit polls conducted by several survey
centers in the West Bank showed that Fatah won in the election with a slight
edge.
Although the lead was tiny, Fatah supporters could not conceal
their excitement and turned out in large numbers to the streets to celebrate the
victory in advance.
However, on Thursday morning, everyone in Fatah was totally
shocked right after senior Hamas leader Sheikh Ismael Haneya, who also headed
Hamas' list, blew up a huge bomb by revealing that Hamas had won a majority of
the parliament 132 seats up for grabs.
Shock, despair, excitement and exultation, all these mixed
emotions were awash among the Palestinians after the elections.
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| Hamas leader, and top candidate for the
Palestinian parliamentary elections, Ismail Hanieh salutes supporters
outside his house in Gaza City Jan. 26.
(Reuters) |
However, whichever they supported before and whatever they think
now, the Palestinians began to review the elections and think about the future
for the whole Palestinian society.
Ahmed Abu Hussein, 23, a Fatah supporter from Gaza City, said
Fatah had faced a conspiracy similar to the one in Baghdad, referring to the
topple of Saddam Hussein's regime.
"It is a treason carried out by the Palestinian people against
Fatah movement," he said.
Another Fatah supporter, 45-year-old Hussein Zaneen, called on
Fatah to learn from this experience and start again rebuilding itself.
"Fatah movement has committed lots of mistakes over the last few
years, and it should learn from these mistakes," he said.
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| Hamas candidate Youssef al-Shrafi is
congratulated at his home in Jabalya refugee camp Jan 26.
(Reuters) | Zeyad Hammad, a
Palestinian who used to support Fatah but voted for Hamas in this election, said
after hearing the results, the Palestinian people should work on rearranging
their efforts to "manifest unity and form one Palestinian national government
that include all parties."
When Fatah supporters are still reviewing the elections,
supporters for Hamas have begun looking ahead and contemplating the future.
"We hope that the victory Hamas has achieved wouldn't make it
forget its people and their suffering," said Salleh Oudeh, 32, one Hamas
supporter from Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza.
"We are going to face a new era in the Palestinian history and
all of us should work shoulder to shoulder," said Qudeh.
Hamas spokesman Mushir al-Masri, who won as a new parliament
member, announced on Thursday that Hamas won 77 seats out of the 132 Palestinian
Legislative Council (PLC) seats up for grabs.
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| Palestinian man removes election posters in
the West Bank city of Ramallah Jan. 26.
(Reuters) |
Al-Masri told reporters that Hamas also won 44 seats out of the
66 seats in the district voting.
Right after Hamas announced its victory in the election, senior
Fatah leaders conceded defeat.
Hussein al-Sheikh, a senior Fatah leader in Ramallah in the West
Bank, said he telephoned Haneya and congratulated him on Hamas' victory in
parliament.
Shortly afterwards, Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei
announced his resignation to pave the way for a new cabinet dominated by
Hamas.
However, chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Fatah
will not join a new government dominated by Hamas, but will remain an opposition
party.
The Palestinian Central Election Commission is expected to
announce the official result at 7:00 p.m. (1700 GMT) on Thursday.
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