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Mahmoud Abbas needed a strong mandate, analysts said
(Agencies) | Mahmoud Abbas
has claimed victory in the Palestinian presidential election and dedicated
his win to late leader Yasser Arafat.
Exit polls suggest Mr Abbas won around two-thirds of the vote but an
official result is not likely until Monday.
The Central Elections Commission said turnout was at least 66%.
Analysts said Mr Abbas needed a wide margin of victory and high turnout
to push his agenda of peace talks and an end to the armed Palestinian
uprising.
Polling closed at 1900 GMT on Sunday, two hours later than scheduled
after voting difficulties forced an extension.
Mr Abbas addressed a rally of hundreds of
supporters in the West Bank town of Ramallah, telling them: "I present
this victory to the soul of Yasser Arafat and present it to our people, to
our martyrs
and to 11,000
prisoners" in Israeli jails.
One exit poll by the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research
has given Mr Abbas 66% of the vote and his closest challenger, Mustafa
Barghouti, 19.7%.
A second by An Najah University gives Mr Abbas 69.5% and Mr Barghouti
24.5%.
However, a late surge in voting means it may be some time before
official figures are known.
US President George W Bush praised Sunday's election.
He said it was, along with upcoming parliamentary polls, "essential for
the establishment of a sovereign, independent, viable, democratic and
peaceful Palestinian state that can live alongside a safe and secure
Israel".
There are 1.8m Palestinians who are eligible to vote.
Voting was reported brisk but there were problems with registration,
heavy turnout and the turning away of hundreds of voters from a big
Israeli-run polling station in East Jerusalem.
Voters complained that Israeli officials were not allowing them to vote
even though the Palestinian central election commission had properly
registered them.
One election monitor said he thought up to 500 voters had been turned
away.
Under special voting arrangements for East Jerusalem - which Israel has
annexed and sees as its exclusive domain, while international law decrees
it to be occupied territory - Palestinians are allowed to vote in Israeli
post offices.
(Agencies) | 
Updated: 2005-01-10 08:50