Poll: 43% for Fateh 29% for Hamas

[oberliner]

BIRZET, December 26, 2006 (WAFA) - Development Studies Program at Birzet University said in case the parliamentary elections were conducted today, Fateh list would obtain 43% of the vote, Hamas list would obtain 29% , and a unified list for the left and the independents would obtain 15%.

In a public opinion poll issued Tuesday, the results revealed that if a presidential election took place, President Abbas would win over Ismail Haniyyeh and Khalid Mashal, Marwan Bargouthy would also win over the two Hamas candidates.

In case of a competition between 12 Palestinian personalities, the results showed that 4 Fateh personalities received 43% of the vote, while 4 Hamas personalities received 28%, 9% voted for independent and leftists personalities.

The results for the different personalities were as follows: Ismael Haniyyeh (Hamas) received 24%, Mahmoud Abbas and Marwan Barghouthi (Fateh) received 18% each, Mohammad Dahlan (Fateh) received 7%, Mustafa Barghouthi (Mubadara) received 5%, Khalid Mashal (Hamas) received 3%, Saeb Ereikat (Fateh) and Ahmad Sadaat (PFLP) received 2% each. The rest of the candidates don't get significant percentages.

http://wafa.ps/english/body.asp?id=8891

[Ken Burch]

1. Generally good news. It would be a great improvement if Hamas were defeated.

It's still unclear to me, however, that Mahmoud Abbas has the power to unilaterally order a new election less than a year after the last one. Wouldn't that require Hamas to lose a non-confidence motion in the Palestinian legislature or something like that? It seems weird that the head of state would just get to call an election whenever he felt like that, in the absence of a parliamentary crisis of any sort.

BTW, are Magwan Barghouthi and Mustafa Barghouthi related?

Also, since it's only been nine months or so since the last election, has Abbas been able to make any serious inroads into getting rid of the serious corruption problems within Fateh?

[Behind the Aegis]

2. "BTW, are Magwan Barghouthi and Mustafa Barghouthi related?" No.

Barghouti was born in Ramallah, and became active in Fatah at the age of 15. Marwan Barghouti should not be confused with Mustafa Barghouti, a distant cousin. By the age of 18 in 1976, Marwan Barghouthi was arrested by Israel for his involvement in a Palestinian uprising, and learned Hebrew during his time in Israeli prisons. After his release, he returned to the West Bank and became president of the student body at Birzeit University, where he received a bachelor's degree in history and political science and a master's degree in international relations. He is married to Fadwa Barghouti.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marwan_Barghouti

[Ken Burch]

3. Thanks for the clarification, Aegis.

n/t.

[Tom Joad]

4. I wonder what would happen if in April, Bush decided to call new Congressional elections.

Declaring that there was an impossible impasse with the Democratic Congress.
Wonder what the response would be?

[Ken Burch]

5. Of course, now that Olmert's approved a new settlement

Fateh's popularity is certain to crash and Hamas is going to win again.

Olmert ratfucked Mahmoud Abbas with no justification whatsoever. It will now be impossible to ask Palestinians to stop voting Hamas.

Nice work.