Hamas to take part in Palestinian Parliament vote for first time

NABLUS, West Bank, Sunday (AFP)

The militant Palestinian Islamic movement Hamas announced it would end a long-standing boycott and take part in Palestinian legislative elections in July.

"Hamas has decided to take part in the Palestinian legislative council election this summer," a Hamas leader, Mohammad Ghazal, told a press conference in the northern West Bank town of Nablus.

Hamas boycotted the first legislative elections in the Palestinian territories in 1996 and refused to put forward a candidate for the presidential election in January which saw Mahmud Abbas chosen to succeed the late Yasser Arafat.

However, Hamas has taken part in local elections, and scored a landslide victory in its Gaza Strip stronghold in January.

Abbas welcomed the news.

"This is a positive step that contributes to the participation of all Palestinians in political life," Abbas told reporters in Ramallah.

"Hamas' decision is not really a surprise since the group had taken part in recent local elections which they won," he said.