Despite Palestinian Presidnet Yasser Araft’s objections over the participation of security personnel in elections, Fatah movement in the Gaza Strip is proceeding with its internal elections that began on May 26.
Fatah Gaza Strip sources reported that so far the camp of Mohammed Dahalan, the ex-security affairs minister, is winning.
Even after Arafat ordered a halt to the electoral process and the removal of the names of security personnel from the candidates’ lists, elections in the Rimal area in northern Gaza took place as scheduled on Sunday.
So far, elections took place in Rimal, Beit Hanun, Jabalya City, the two Jabalya refugee camp neighborhoods and Beit Lahia.
Fatah sources in Gaza reported that the turn over exceeded 95%.
General Security forces in Gaza, Abed Razik al Majada, acting on orders from Arafat, ordered the Gaza Fatah secretary Ahmed Hilis to cancel the elections and remove from the lists all the security forces personnel running for election.
But apparently the large turnout encouraged organizers to ignore Arafat’s orders and proceed with the elections.
