Fatah ahead in Palestinian election, official says

RAMALLAH, West Bank - President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party came out ahead in Palestinian local elections on Thursday but candidates from the militant Hamas group also scored gains, preliminary results showed.

Of the 104 local councils up for grabs in the occupied West Bank, Fatah won control of 61 compared with 28 for Hamas and 15 for other factions, Jamal al-Shobaki, head of the Higher Commission for Local Elections, told Reuters.

The results were in line with opinion polls that gave Hamas about 30 per cent support, pointing to big gains when it takes part in January parliamentary elections.

Thousands voted in the election, seen as a test of Hamas' political clout ahead of the legislative poll. Hamas boycotted the only previous parliamentary ballot in 1996 to protest against peacemaking with Israel.

Thursday's ballot, the third phase of local elections for more than 1000 council seats in the West Bank, was also the first Palestinian vote since Israel completed its withdrawal from the Gaza Strip on September 12 after 38 years of occupation.

Shobaki put turnout at 81 per cent. Final official results were due to be announced in a few days.

"Particularly after Israel's withdrawal from Gaza and the run-up to legislative elections, the municipal results will have important political implications," Shobaki said earlier in the day, before polling stations closed.

Sworn to destroy the Jewish state, Hamas made a strong showing in two earlier phases of municipal voting and its charity networks, lack of corruption and suicide bombings have won many Palestinian hearts during five years of fighting with Israel.

The prospect of a key role for Hamas in Palestinian politics has raised eyebrows in Israel and abroad due to the group's refusal to disarm under a US-backed "road map" peace plan.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had said Israel would not facilitate Palestinian voting in the parliamentary ballot in the West Bank, where the army has a network of roadblocks, if Hamas ran in the election without first disarming.

His deputy, Vice Premier Shimon Peres, said on Thursday: "There cannot be a situation where one party utilises the ballot and another the bullet. No free democratic election can be conducted in this manner."

Samir Hleleh, the Palestinian cabinet secretary, said there was some concern that Western donor nations may withhold funds to any local councils where Hamas holds sway.

"It will be difficult for Hamas-controlled municipalities to receive international donor money. This would place a heavier burden on the government to provide aid," Hleleh said.

Although local concerns are often the deciding factor for Palestinian municipal ballots, Thursday's vote took place in the shadow of the most serious violence since Israel finished evacuating troops and settlers from Gaza.

Hamas has been at the centre of the bloodshed, which surged after it accused Israel of being behind an explosion that killed 17 people at a Gaza rally, then fired rocket salvoes at Israel.

Israel denied responsibility and Abbas blamed Hamas, saying the blast was caused by its own mishandling of explosives.

In retaliation for the rocket strikes, Israel launched an air offensive on Gaza and arrested hundreds of suspected militants in the West Bank. Three militants were shot dead during a raid in the city of Jenin on Thursday.

- REUTERS