The Fatah movement was the clear winner in municipal elections held in 84 cities across the West Bank and Gaza, according to preliminary results released by a Palestinian election official Friday. According to Firas Yaghi, director general of the local election commission, Fatah won around 55 percent of the seats in Thursday's elections, with Hamas group picking up about a third of the seats. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is the head of the Fatah movement. According to the official Palestinian Authority newspaper Al-Ayyam, Fatah won a majority of seats in Beit Lahiya, Hawara and Tulkarem. Hamas won the majority in Qalqiliya and El Boureij. Election participation was 70 percent in the West Bank and 10 percent higher in Gaza, the paper said. Official results are expected Sunday, CNN reported.
