Election in Palestine

• PRINT
• EMAIL

Palestinian Hamas supporters demonstrate at Rafah refugee camp on January 26, 2006. (Photo: Khalil Hamra/AP Wide World)

January 26, 2007

The Palestinian Prime Minister resigned this week after a terrorist group won major victories in parliamentary elections. A Palestinian group known as Hamas won a majority of seats in the parliament. Hamas now has the right to form the next Palestinian government. They won 76 seats in the 132-member Legislature.

"It's the choice of the people and it should be respected," said Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei as he resigned.

President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, is a member of the Fatah Party, which won only 43 seats in the legislature. The remaining 13 seats went to smaller parties. Abbas was elected President last year.

The Hamas victory ended the Fatah Party's 10-year control of the Palestinian Authority. The victory also complicates the peace process with Israel. Hamas officials in Gaza City have stated that they will not negotiate with Israel. Europe, Israel, and the United States classify Hamas, officially known as the Islamic Resistance Movement, as a terrorist group. The group does not recognize Israel's right to exist.

The Vote

Election officials estimated that about 78 percent of the eligible 1.3 million Palestinian voters cast ballots, beating the turnout for last year's presidential race. Hamas refused to run candidates in the last legislative election, which was held 10 years ago. Election watchers said the group focused on Palestinians' unhappiness with government corruption, and that this helped it win the election.

"Mostly, they were voting against Fatah—against corruption, against nepotism, against the failure of the peace process, and against the lack of leadership," said Mustafa Barghouti of the Palestinian National Initiative, a democratic opposition movement.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Nasser al-Kidwa believes that the Palestinian people like the election results. "It's a happy day, there is no doubt about that," al-Kidwa said.

Impact on the Peace Process

Hamas said before the elections that it did not want to govern alone and wanted a partnership with Fatah.

Hamas will now gain important powers. Members will appoint a new Prime Minister, and new Cabinet members. The Cabinet has control over security forces, finance, and other government functions. Abbas will be in charge of negotiations with Israel—if he stays as President. He has said he would resign if he could no longer follow his plans.

Israel and the U.S. have both said they would not deal with a government led by Hamas. "Israel can't accept a situation in which Hamas, in its present form as a terrorist group calling for the destruction of Israel, will be part of the Palestinian Authority without disarming," said Acting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. He is filling the shoes of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who suffered a stroke recently. Sharon is not expected to return to his position.

President Bush immediately expressed concerns over the election results. "I have made it very clear that a political party that articulates the destruction of Israel as part of its platform is a party with which we will not deal," he told reporters in a news conference on Thursday. "I don't see how you can be a partner in peace if you advocate the destruction of a country as part of your platform."

Tiffany Chaparro is a contributing writer for Scholastic News Online.

New UN Leader
There is a new Secretary General at the United Nations. Ban Ki-moon (pronounced Bahn Ghi-moon), of South Korea, began his new position on Tuesday. Ban replaces Secretary General Kofi Annan, whose second term ended on December 31.

A Fresh Perspective
Former Central Intelligence Agency Director Robert Gates was officially sworn in as Secretary of Defense Monday morning. A second ceremony was held in the Pentagon in the afternoon with President George W. Bush.

They're Heroes Abroad, but Unknown at Home
Why is the American public is unaware of the good things our military is doing?

ONLINE ACTIVITY	You're The President Choose your cabinet and set your budget, but be prepared to explain your decisions to the press! Experience the job of President.