Democracy on the march

No, really.

"The Islamic militant group Hamas won sweeping victories in local Palestinian elections held Thursday in some of the West Bank's largest cities, according to preliminary results released Friday.

The voting, six weeks ahead of crucial parliamentary elections, was a considerable blow to the Fatah faction that has dominated the Palestinian Authority but has fractured in the year since the death of Yasir Arafat. The West Bank has generally been considered Fatah's base, with Hamas more popular in the conservative, smaller and isolated Gaza Strip.

...

Hamas swept the large northern city of Nablus, a former Fatah stronghold, seizing 13 of the 15 seats, took control in the town of Jenin by one seat and won decisively in the smaller El Bireh, next to Ramallah."

Everyone has already posted on the Iraqi elections, but the upcoming Palestininan elections could be just as crucial to the eventual future of the Middle East. The Head Heeb, as always, has outstanding commentary.

The potentially destabilizing factor is that the "Young Guard" of Fatah are hardly a united front. Each commands militias of their own, and are united really only by their desire to displace the old men of Arafat's generation. Yet none of them provide a true national rallying figure as Arafat did. If and when the Young Guard does take over, there may not be much of a Palestinian Authority or even national movement to run. The real danger of Palestinian civil war comes not from a split between Fatah and Hamas, but rather the different Young Guard factions between each other.