Hamas sets conditions for election

Hamas says it will allow elections to be conducted in the Gaza Strip if it is permitted to appoint the leader of the central election commission.

Hamas political bureau official Muhammad Nazzal said, "Hamas is not afraid of elections since we know we have the people's support," but insisted that the party had to have some say in the makeup of the election commission.

Nazzal, interviewed by Palestinian TV from Damascus on Friday, added that Hamas believes Palestinians have the "right to a free vote."

He based his call for Hamas input in the election commission on the widely held belief that Fatah's inner-party election during the party's Sixth Congress in August were corrupt.

“Democracy is not a one-time thing,” Nazzal said in the interview that was broadcast on Saturday.

Fatah leader Saleh Ra'fat, who also participated in the TV interview, accused Nazzal of caring more about undermining the results of the Fatah conference than holding a democratic election in Palestine.

“Hamas could win elections in any [Arab] state except Palestine,” Assaf quipped, because “Palestinians know what Hamas is.”

He also challenged Nazzal to back up his words with actions and sign the Egyptian unity proposal, which he said would help start the electoral process and thus prevent a constitutional void after January 25.