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Hamas leader, Ismail Hanieh, attends a press conference in Gaza City, Jan. 26, 2005.

    BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhuanet) -- The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) won 76 seats and the Fatah movement won 43 in Wednesday's Palestinian parliamentary elections, according to an official announcement Thursday evening.

    Hanna Nasser, chief of the Central Election Commission (CEC) said that Hamas got 76 seats and Fatah got 43 seats in the new 132-seat parliament.

    Nasser told reportes in an official announcement that the list of change and reforms of Hamas movement won with 30 PLC seats in the lists and 46 seats in the constituencies, and the total is 76 seats.

    Fatah movement won with 27 seats in the lists and won with 16 seats in the constituencies, with a total of 43 seats in the parliament, he added.

    He said 95 percent of the votes had been counted, adding he preferred to present the results now.

    The official result came after Hamas claimed earlier on Thursday that it had garnered 77 seats in the elections, the second of its kind since 1996.

Tens of thousands of people rally in the West Bank city of Ramallah to celebrate Hamas victiory in Palestinian parliamentary elections.

    It was the first legislative bid for Hamas, a major radical militant group against Israeli occupation which boycotted the first elections, voicing opposition to the Oslo Accords signed in 1993.

    Fatah, a previously dominant movement led by President Mahmoud Abbas, admitted defeat after Hamas victory. Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei on Thursday presented a letter of resignation to Abbas to pave the way for the winner of the elections to form a new cabinet.

    The surprising victory of Hamas adds more uncertainty over the prospects of the Mideast peace process as the militant group is still listed as a terror organization by Israel, the United States and the European Union.

    Israel said that it would not deal with a new Palestinian government that calls for the destruction of Israel. Enditem