Haniyeh: Hamas will win elections

15/12/2010

GAZA CITY (Ma’an) -- Given fair conditions, Hamas would win another landslide victory in all Palestinian areas Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Tuesday, "Hamas will get the West Bank and Gaza with more votes than before."

Speaking during a celebration marking the 23rd anniversary of the founding of Hamas, Haniyeh referenced a decision by the Supreme Court in Ramallah, which found that the PA decision to cancel local elections in the West Bank was illegal. The court said a new date for elections must be set immanently.

The speech, attended by thousands of party supporters in the Katiba Square west of Gaza City, extolled Hamas on points in contrast to the Fatah-led government in Ramallah.

Haniyeh focused on the failure of the peace process initiated by the American government, and comments published in the Hebrew press saying Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would only stop settlement building in return for a recognition of Israel as a Jewish state by Abbas.

"Hamas will not recognize Israel," Haniyeh said, as long as it continues to occupy Palestinian lands. "Israel is an enemy and there is no future for occupation," he said, naming in areas in Palestinian and Syrian towns in Gaza and the Golan Heights, "from the lake to the river to the sea."

The party leader said continued talks with Israel by the Palestinian Authority were useless, and urged Fatah to abandon the attempt, which he said was standing in the way of Palestinian unity.

"We will never run from reconciliation, we are moving close just as Fatah is moving closer, and we care as much as Fatah cares," he said calling on the ruling West Bank party to help solve the issues with the Egyptian reconciliation paper.

Haniyeh said PA forces would have to cease their campaign of political arrests, saying it did not reflect well on efforts by negotiators to reach a deal on security coordination.

Source: Ma'an News Agency.
Link: http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=342060.