Beitunia, West Bank – The Palestinian militant group Hamas captured up to one-third of the votes in Palestinian municipal elections Thursday, according to preliminary unofficial results, a solid showing that could presage its performance in parliamentary balloting early next year.
The Palestinian commissioner for local elections, Jamal Shobaki, said it appeared the governing Fatah movement had won a majority on municipal councils in 45 towns or villages, while Hamas had captured 22; another 15 locales had inconclusive initial results.
Turnout was about 81 percent of voters, Shobaki said.
Throughout the day, Palestinians gathered at schools and municipal centers to cast their votes.
Old men leaned on canes for support as they shuffled toward ballot boxes; little boys chased after one another wearing headbands of satiny green for Hamas or the checkered black-and- white cloth representing Fatah, which is affiliated with the governing Palestinian Authority.
The chance to participate in a democratic election is still something of a novelty for Palestinians, who went to the polls in January to elect Mahmoud Abbas as the successor to the late Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat.
Two rounds of municipal voting were held earlier this year, and a fourth is set before year’s end.
In addition to the 82 communities where candidates faced off, one side or the other ran unopposed in 22 locales.
In 16 of those, only Fatah put forth candidates; the other six went uncontested to Hamas.
