Do the folks who say Gazan voters for Hamas deserve to be bombed by Israel realize that they voted Hamas into power in 2006? The toxic rivalry between Fatah and the Islamic militant Hamas also loomed large over the first Palestinian ballot in six years (2012). The political rift, which broke open after Hamas seized Gaza from Abbas in 2007, made it unlikely Saturday’s vote will be followed anytime soon by overdue elections for parliament and president. Hamas prevented voting in the Gaza Strip and boycotted the contest in the West Bank, arguing that elections can only be held once Hamas and Fatah reconcile. “We ask to stop this disgrace,” said Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum, dismissing Saturday’s vote as meaningless. Saeb Erekat, a senior Abbas aide, countered that “Hamas cannot have a veto on democracy.” Critics say the group banned voting in Gaza to prevent largely vanquished rivals, particularly from Fatah, from gaining a new foothold there. timesofisrael/low-voter-turnout-plagues-first-palestinian-elections-in-six-years/
Posted on: Tue, 29 Jul 2014 21:45:20 +0000
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