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Source: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2005/728/re72.htm
Hamas: Into the Mainstream
(Al-Ahram-Egypt) Khaled Amayreh - Hamas won a landslide victory in last week's local elections in 10 Gaza towns. Hamas's Reform and Change list won 77 of the 118 seats contested, while Fatah won only 26. The remaining seats went to clan and independent candidates. The results come as an unpleasant surprise to Fatah - and the Fatah-dominated PA. The population centers in which the elections were held have long been considered traditional power bases for Fatah. Indeed, the impression was widespread that election officials had selected these areas as "test cases" on the assumption that a strong Fatah showing would create the momentum necessary for more Fatah election victories elsewhere. The views of one northern Gaza farmer who voted for Hamas are typical: "Hamas is us, and we are Hamas. Hamas represents Islam and we are Muslims. Hamas is against corruption, and we don't like corruption. Hamas is against Israel, and we hate Israel. Israel's hatred of Hamas is a vindication...it is a certificate of good conduct." What remains unclear is whether the strengthening of Hamas through the ballot box will push the movement towards more moderation.