Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah party was on Sunday claiming victory ahead of the results of local elections in the West Bank, in the first such vote since 2006. Although preliminary results were only due out at 1600 GMT, Fatah officials were openly jubilant after the long-delayed ballot which was boycotted by the rival Hamas movement which rules Gaza.
"Fatah won a victory in this election," party spokesman Ahmad Assaf told AFP. "Despite Hamas's efforts, participation was good which proves that people reject Hamas policies," he said, without elaborating.
The Central Elections Commission put turnout at 54.8 percent. Several hours after the polls closed, supporters in the southern city of Hebron took the streets to celebrate their victory. The last time the Palestinians voted was in the general elections of January 2006, which Hamas won by a landslide; the Islamist movement also chalked up major wins a year earlier during the last local elections.
This time, however, Hamas refused to take part following the collapse of unity talks with Fatah, leaving the Abbas's party to face off with independents and leftist factions like the PFLP and DFLP.