GAZANS SET TO ELECT HAMAS

Gaza Poll: Hamas 45%, Fatah 36% - Khaled Abu Toameh (Jerusalem Post)
A Palestinian public opinion poll this week showed that nearly half of the residents of the Gaza Strip were planning to vote for Hamas in the parliamentary elections. The poll gave Hamas over 45%, while Fatah received only 36%. Unlike Fatah, Hamas has chosen many university teachers, physicians, pharmacists, lawyers, journalists, and accountants as its representatives in next month's parliamentary elections, in which Hamas is participating for the first time. Hamas's candidates are much better than most of our candidates," admitted a top Fatah official in Ramallah. "Most of our candidates are political activists, former security prisoners, and commanders of armed groups."