ONLY GAME IN TOWN:

Hamas signals it wants a role in Palestinian vote: The militant group is poised to sponsor candidates in legislative and municipal elections expected later next year. (Joshua Mitnick, 11/22/04, CS Monitor)

Although Hamas seems to be shying away from contesting the presidency - the demand for an omnibus vote was already rejected by Palestinian Authority leaders - the Islamic militant group is poised to sponsor candidates in legislative and municipal elections expected later next year. After boycotting the 1996 general elections over its objection to the Oslo peace accords, running for parliament would be a milestone for Hamas.

After years of building popularity through sponsoring suicide bombings, an Islamic social welfare network, and criticism of government corruption, Hamas has moved from the margins as the main rival to Arafat's Fatah Party. A September poll found the combined support of 27 percent for Hamas and the much smaller Islamic Jihad faction, compared with Fatah's 25 percent.

Now, the Islamic group is poised to translate years of rising popularity into political power. "Fatah and the Palestinian Authority are always making the decisions. The only way for Hamas to be part of this process is to be in the legislative council,'' says Ghazi Hamad, the editor of a weekly newspaper in Gaza affiliated with Hamas. "Hamas will try to move closer to the national consensus. This may affect the tactics and the strategy of Hamas [pushing it] to be more pragmatic and more realistic.''

Hamad adds that Hamas's shrinking from the presidential contest is an implicit recognition that its rejection of talks with Israel is out of step with political realities.

They're just another political party, though with a more checkered past than most.

Posted by Orrin Judd at November 21, 2004 7:59 PM