(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah remains popular among Palestinians, according to a poll by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research. 54 per cent of respondents would vote for the current president of the Palestinian Authority, who has recently announced he does not intend to seek a new term in office.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah remains popular among Palestinians, according to a poll by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research. 54 per cent of respondents would vote for the current president of the Palestinian Authority, who has recently announced he does not intend to seek a new term in office.
Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas is a distant second with 38 per cent.
Abbas won the January 2005 presidential ballot in the Palestinian Territories with 62.32 per cent of all cast ballots. In January 2006, Hamas won the Palestinian Legislative Council election, securing 74 of the 112 seats at stake. Haniyeh officially took over as prime minister in March. The Israeli government believes Hamas is directly responsible for the deaths of 377 citizens in a variety of attacks, which include dozens of suicide bombings.
In February 2007, Hamas and Fatah leaders reached an accord which set the guidelines for a power-sharing Palestinian administration, headed by Hamas. In June, amid a wave of violent clashes between Hamas and Fatah factions, Hamas militants seized control of Gaza. Abbas issued a decree to form a 12-member emergency government based in the West Bank and expelled Hamas from the administration. Fatah member Salam Fayyad was appointed as prime minister by Abbas.
Abbas recently extended his tenure—which was supposed to end in January 2009—until 2010. The extension is part of an Egypt-sponsored plan to foster reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah.
On Dec. 15, Abbas reiterated his decision to step down, saying, "I will not race again for presidency in any upcoming presidential elections, and I have other measures that will be announced later on time."
Polling Data
If a presidential election were to take place today, and Mahmoud Abbas were nominated by Fatah and Ismail Haniyeh were nominated by Hamas, who would you vote for?
|
|
Dec. 2009 |
Aug. 2009 |
May 2009 |
|
Mahmoud Abbas |
54% |
52% |
49% |
|
Ismail Haniyeh |
38% |
38% |
44% |
|
Not sure |
8% |
9% |
7% |
Source: Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research
Methodology: Face-to-face interviews with 1,200 Palestinian adults in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, conducted from Dec. 10 to Dec. 12, 2009. Margin of error is 3 per cent.
