Rival Palestinian factions Hamas and the Palestinian Authority would both fall well short of a parliamentary majority if elections were held in May, according to a new poll released on Tuesday.
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The survey, conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, showed that the two rival factions would either have to join forces or enlist the support of smaller parties to form a new government.
The May 22 election will be the first vote to be held in 15 years, a move political experts say is meant to build trust with the newly elected Biden administration.
According to the PCPSR poll, a single Fatah list, led by current Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, would win 43% of the vote, while Hamas would win 30%. Some 18% of respondents said they are still undecided.
Fatah's support, however, drops substantially if two of Abbas' former Fatah party rivals enter the fray, including Mohammad Dahlan, who is currently living in exile after a falling out with the PA leader.
The poll shows if Dahlan enters the race, he'll garner 10% of the vote, while Nasser al-Kidwa, who was booted from Fatah after forming his own party, would win 7% – leaving Fatah with only 30% of the electorate.
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The PCPSR poll surveyed 1,200 Palestinians across Judea and Samaria and Gaza Strip, with a margin of error of 3%.
"Both Fatah and Hamas have major problems," PCPSR director Khalil Shikaki said in a media statement.
"Hamas' main problem is the perception that it cannot address the major challenges. Fatah's major problem is the splits."
This article was first published by i24NEWS.
