The Islamic Resistance group Hamas denied charge on Wednesday that it committed fraud in the May 5 Palestinian municipal elections.

Mahmoud al Zahar, a senior Hamas leader in Gaza, made the statement after a five-hour meeting with the visiting Egyptian delegation which is trying to mediate disputes between Hamas and the ruling Fatah movement over the election results.

"We have presented to the Egyptian delegation proofs that Hamas did not commit forgery in the municipal elections," said Zahar, adding that the group didn't accuse the Palestinian judiciary system of being unfair.

Palestinian civil courts ruled last week to annul results in three areas in the Gaza Strip where Hamas claimed victory after Fatah complained about election irregularities.

Preliminary results showed that Fatah won control of 50 of 86 contested municipal councils in Gaza and the West Bank while Hamas, a militant group bent on Israel's destruction, secured some 30, many in populous urban areas in Gaza.

Zahar said meetings with the Egyptian delegation will continue later in the day and that Hamas will soon present its final position concerning the election dispute.

Meanwhile, sources close to the early Wednesday meeting said Hamas and the Egyptian officials also discussed the possible postponement of the legislative elections slated for July 17.

"Hamas called for holding the parliamentary elections on time as stipulated in the Cairo agreements reached in March between 13 major Palestinian factions and the Palestinian National Authority," said the sources.

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said earlier that his movement objected to the idea of postponing the elections, which he said is contrary to a commitment from President Abbas to hold the elections on time.

The Palestinian Election Commission signalled on Monday the parliamentary elections would have to be postponed because it needed at least two months to prepare after a new electoral law was ratified.

But Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who has repeatedly vowed to hold the vote on time, is locked in a dispute with lawmakers over electoral reforms that has left the new legislation in limbo.

The Egyptian delegation, headed by senior security official Mustafa al Beheiri, arrived in Gaza on Monday afternoon on a mediation mission to defuse tension between Fatah and Hamas and shore up the Palestinian national unity.

Source: Xinhua