Mohammed Dahlan, the former Palestinian civil affairs minister, on Wednesday held the election supervision committee responsible for the failure of Fatah primaries.

Dahlan told reporters that the committee made mistakes in handling the primaries in the Gaza Strip on Monday, failing to distribute forms to all active and registered Fatah members.

Some discontented militants affiliated with the ruling movement stormed several polling stations in Gaza later on Monday, which led to the suspension of primaries there.

However, Dahlan said no one has the authority to cancel election results, despite the fact that there were mistakes.

He considered the primaries as the first democratic practice within Fatah.

Dahlan, one of the young generation of Fatah members resigned on Sunday to stand in the legislative elections slated for Jan. 25, 2006.

As one of the leading members among the young generation of Fatah, Dahlan strongly supports primaries instead of the old practice of appointment before elections, citing "the era of appointment is finished."

Source: Xinhua