The Palestinian parliamentary election planned for July should be postponed, a senior Palestinian official said in an interview published today.
The revelation is another sign that the ruling Fatah Party is deeply worried about the electoral prospects of militant Islamic groups.
The election, only the second in the 11 years since the Palestinian Authority was founded, is scheduled for July 17, but Tayeb Abdel Rahim, a senior aide to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, called for a delay.
It was the strongest indication yet that Abbas might postpone the election, despite a promise to Hamas to hold the vote on time. Hamas quickly rejected the call.
Fatah activists have warned Abbas the party is headed for defeat if it goes to elections in July. Polls show Palestinian voters are fed up with corruption and inefficiency in the Palestinian government, dating to the rule of Yasser Arafat, who died last November. Without Arafat's charisma and standing, Abbas could lead his Fatah Party to a poor showing, further eroding his credibility and ability to rein in militants.
Fatah leaders say their they have a better chance if the election is held after Israel's withdrawal from Gaza this summer - something Abbas can claim as an achievement - and after a party convention in August would usher some younger, reform-minded candidates into key positions.
Hamas, which gained more ground in local elections last week, insists Abbas stick to the election date, part of a truce deal the two sides negotiated in March.
Abdel Rahim told the Al Quds daily in an interview published today that for now, no decision has been made to postpone the vote, but that there are "legal, political and national reasons" to do so.