Fatah calls for US intervention to allow Hamas in elections

A senior Fatah official called for U.S. intervention on Tuesday to allow Hamas to participate in the upcoming Palestinian parliamentary elections.

In press statements, Abbas Zaki, a senior member of Fatah's central committee, said the United States should take into consideration the Palestinian democracy, which won't exclude any Palestinian power from elections regardless of its policy.

This call came after Israel barred Hamas, a radical militant group sworn to Israel's destruction, from participating in the Jan. 25 legislative elections.

Israel insists that Hamas be disarmed first.

Zaki said the Palestinians totally reject the brazen Israeli intervention in the Palestinian internal issue.

Hamas, a major driving force behind more than five years of Palestinian uprising against Israel, put up a strong showing in the latest local elections. With a surging street popularity, it is also poised to present a tough challenge to the ruling Fatah movement led by Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in the parliamentary elections.

Hamas boycotted the first Palestinian legislative elections in 1996, citing opposition to the Oslo Accords.

Source: Xinhua