29 January 2005	Saturday	18 Zilhaj 1425

GAZA, Jan 28: Hamas swept seven out of 10 councils in the Gaza Strip's first local elections on Thursday, seen as a test of strength between the militant group and new President Mahmoud Abbas.

The militant group, sworn to Israel's destruction, had boycotted the Jan 9 presidential election, won by Mr Abbas on a platform of ending violence to allow talks with the Jewish state on Palestinian statehood.

"Hamas's victory proves Islam is the solution," blared a slogan from loudspeakers as thousands of supporters celebrated in the streets beneath fluttering green Hamas flags.

Mr Abbas has been trying to win a cease fire from Hamas and other militants spearheading the four-year-old intifada to allow the resumption of talks with Israel and to avoid chaos in Gaza before an Israeli plan to abandon the occupied territory.

"Our people have a consensus on the choice of jihad and resistance and the election has underscored that concept," Hamas spokesman Muhir al Masri told reporters. Hamas candidates won 75 of the 118 council seats compared to 39 for members of Mr Abbas's Fatah movement and their allies, final figures from the electoral commission showed.

But while the results were a blow to Fatah, they also raise the prospect that Hamas will join parliamentary elections in July and thereby shift closer to the political mainstream. "The results showed that our people are insisting Hamas take part in the upcoming ballot," said spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri.

HIGH TURNOUT: Voter turnout topped 80 per cent - much higher than at the presidential election for a successor to Yasser Arafat. Local Government Minister Jamal al Shobaki, a Fatah member, said the high turnout showed that "Palestinian people understand that democracy and elections are the start to the end of occupation".

Hamas has won many hearts in Gaza not only for its role in the fighting but also for its charity work for the needy in the absence of welfare support from the crumbling Palestinian Authority.

Political analysts say that by taking part in the municipal elections, Hamas is also demonstrating its claim to a share of power ahead of Israel's planned withdrawal of Jewish settlers from Gaza.

Palestinian analyst Hani Habib said that Hamas's show of power could make the group more eager to join Mr Abbas's political agenda, including a militant truce with Israel, in order to try to boost its political status among the Palestinians.

"Hamas's landslide victory will encourage it more because now it feels stronger and it will (be encouraged) to make difficult decisions while it is strong," he said. "Hamas will be involved in (Abbas's) plan from a position of strength."

Senior Hamas leader Mohammed al Zahar told reporters in Gaza that the group would still not accept a cease fire until Israel agreed to carry out more of their demands. Israel has already said it would reduce military raids and assassinations of militant leaders in response to Mr Abbas's efforts to end attacks.

Hamas made a strong showing in municipal elections in the West Bank last month and the group had been expected to do even better in Gaza, where 1.4 million Palestinians live in often dire poverty. -Reuters