Hamas gains ground on Fatah

HAMAS militants have gained ground against Mahmoud Abbas’ ruling Fatah Party in their first legislative run as polls show two movements tied for the lead with the election just a day away.

Yesterday, Palestinians plastered walls with posters, strung up banners and cruised the streets with loudspeakers on the final day of campaigning before parliamentary elections. Across the West Bank and Gaza, yesterday was the last day of early voting for 58,000 members of the security forces. They were asked to cast ballots early, in order to be free to secure polling stations during tomorrow’s election.

Hisham Assam, aged 39, a major, said he’s supporting Fatah because backing Hamas would be too much of a gamble. Fatah has been the torchbearer of the Palestinian cause for 40 years, but voter complaints of corruption and mismanagement have cost it support. “With Fatah, at least we know what we are getting,” said Assam. “With Hamas, we are heading into the unknown.”

Hamas, which has carried out dozens of suicide bombings against Israel in recent years, has played successfully on its image as incorruptible and as a provider of health, education and welfare services.

It has also argued that its attacks on Israelis, and not diplomacy, caused Israel to withdraw from Gaza over the summer.

Fatah has been unable to take control of lawless West Bank and Gaza streets.

The participation of Hamas in the election has created friction with Israel and the US, but Abbas has said he hopes the group would tame its positions once it formally joins the political system.

Hamas has not yet said whether it would join the government or hunker down in the opposition, where it would be under less pressure to abandon its anti-Israel ideology.

The US advocates the spread of democratic elections in the Mideast, so it did not pressure Abbas to block Hamas from participating in the race. But because it considers Hamas to be a terrorist organisation, “if members of Hamas become members of a Palestinian government, we will not deal with those individuals,” said US Embassy spokesman Stewart Tuttle.

Huzeifa Abu Fadel, aged 22, a Hamas campaign worker, said the group expects backing from police, who clash with Hamas gunmen more often than support them.

Pollsters have predicted that turnout will top 85%, with voters energised by having a first real alternative to Fatah.

Fatah, holding fast to its most potent symbols, held its closing rally last night at the Gaza City home of the iconic former Palestinian leader, the late Yasser Arafat.

The Israeli military, meanwhile, said it would refrain from operations against Palestinian gunmen through Wednesday’s elections, except to stop militants who pose immediate threats.