Palestinian PM quits
2006-01-26 11:33
Ramallah - Palestinian prime minister Ahmed Qorei announced his resignation on Thursday and said the radical Islamist group Hamas must form the next government after its general election victory.
"I am going to present my resignation to president Abu Mazen (Mahmud Abbas) and Hamas should form the (new) government," he told journalists.
"We must respect the choice of the people and the party which has obtained a majority should form the new government," he added.
"It is true that Hamas has obtained a majority and I have resigned to enable president Abbas to choose a new prime minister."
A source in the central elections commission had earlier said that Hamas was clearly ahead of Fatah with all the votes nearly counted.
'Considerable victory'
Senior officials from Fatah, the movement which has dominated Palestinian politics for years, acknowledged that they had been beaten into second place by Hamas which was contesting its first parliamentary election.
A source in the central elections commission confirmed that, with nearly all the votes counted, Hamas had a clear lead over Fatah.
The official result was not due until 19:00, but Hamas was confident it would have an absolute majority in the 132-seat parliament.
Israel has warned it would not do business with a group which still advocates the use of violence and refuses to recognise the Jewish state's right to exist.
US President George W Bush also cold-shouldered Hamas, reaffirming its status in Washington's eyes as a terrorist organisation.
"Hamas has beaten Fatah in the elections," said one senior official who stood for election to the Ramallah-based parliament.
Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri said the movement had secured an absolute majority and won at least 75 seats.
"Hamas has registered a considerable victory. Countries in the region and the international community must respect our people's choice, which is the result of democracy," the group's chief candidate, Ismail Haniya, told AFP.
Asked about Hamas's participation in the Palestinian government if the group's victory is confirmed, Haniya remained elusive, limiting his comments to talk of "political partnership".
As votes were counted late Wednesday, Abbas said his people had opened a new chapter in their troubled history and called for international assistance to revive stalled peace talks.
But Israel's acting leader Ehud Olmert implied that prospect was remote.
"Israel cannot allow Hamas to become part of the Palestinian Authority in its current form," he said.
The charter of Hamas calls for the destruction of Israel and the group, responsible for dozens of suicide bombings over the last five years, has vowed not to disarm after entering parliament.