GAZA, May 3, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – With observers expecting the Islamic resistance group Hamas to score big, preparations are in full swing to hold the second phase of the Palestinian municipal elections Thursday, May 5.

“Hamas will secure victory in the second phase of the municipal elections, consolidating its landslide victory in the January first phase,” Kamal Al-Astal, professor of political sciences, Al-Azhar University, told IslamOnline.net Tuesday, May 3.

Hamas is expected to win 50% of the vote, he said, expecting that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s mainstream Fatah group to show a better performance in the polls to make up for its poor performance in the first phase.

Palestinians are expected to turn out en masse in the second phase of the polls to select their municipal representatives, the political analyst further stressed.

“The Palestinian street is looking for reform and change and is now fully aware of the truth of the slogans propagated by the candidates as they have had enough of the corrupt policies,” Al-Astal said.

More than 400,000 Palestinians are to cast ballot in the second phase of the municipal elections to pick up candidates for 84 municipal councils in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

“Around 400,000 enfranchised Palestinians will be eligible to elect council representatives from more than 2,500 candidates, among them 399 women,” Jamal Al-Shobaki, head of the local elections commission, had said.

Last January, Hamas won 77 seats of the 118 seats on 10 council in the first-ever municipal elections in Gaza against only 22 seats for the mainstream Fatah movement.

The third and final round of the Palestinian municipal elections will take place in August.

The major Palestinian resistance factions are expected to take part in the second phase of the municipal elections.

The real race, however, is expected to be seen between Hamas-supported candidates and Fatah-backed runners.

“The Islamic resistance group Hamas will effectively be taking part in the second phase of the polls,” Sami Abu Zehri, Hamas spokesman, said.

“Hamas is fielding many candidates in the majority of the constituencies except for few areas which are dominated by certain tribes,” he added, stressing that Hamas candidates enjoy basic professional and academic skills and transparency to run for the polls.

Abu Zehri criticized what he termed “selectivity in choosing the West Bank constituencies in a way serving the Fatah candidates, citing cases of tension and interference in the electoral campaigns.

Despite denial of the elections commission of any violations during election campaigns, some areas were reported to be scenes of violations by some Fatah candidates.

News reports said the Palestinian security bodies have been interfering to garner support for Fatah candidates in the West Bank.

There were also reports of fire shooting and threats against Palestinian citizens in southern Gaza Strip to force them to vote for Fatah-backed runners.

Fatah, for its part, is hopeful to show a strong performance in the second phase of the municipal elections after poor results it scored in the first phase.

In this scope, the mainstream group has set new criteria on selecting its candidates to run for the municipal elections.

“Fatah movement has selected candidates upon an internal election by-law in order to make up for its mistakes in the first phase,” Hassan Jibril, a Fatah figure, told IOL.

Commenting on the Fatah measure, Abu Zehri said “the step is a victory for the Hamas platform.”

He stressed that Hamas is keen to see transparent and “incorrupt” candidates running for the municipal polls.

Israel, however, spared no effort to spoil the second phase of the municipal elections.

In this regard, the Israeli army stormed a West Bank village to remove campaign banners for Hamas candidates.