Poll No.123 Date: 08 October 2004

• 43.9% call for a halt to suicidal attacks in Israel.
• 50.2% support to varying degrees the peace process.
• 52.2% entered already the register of electors.
• 72.2% are with the time extension for entering the register of electors.
• 41.5% believe that Fateh will score excellent results in the elections.
• 32.6% believe that Hamas will score excellent results in the elections.

Majd Kokaly-information department:

A poll was conducted by the PCPO and prepared by President Dr. Nabil Kukali included a random sample of (557) Palestinian adults, 18 years and older, from the West bank including East Jerusalem. The sampling error for a sample of this size is about (±4.15%) in each direction.

The poll has revealed that (52.2%) has already entered the register of electors, and (72.2%) agree to the time extension of the registration.

Furthermore (41.5%) believe that Fatah will score excellent results in the elections and (44.9%) would vote for President Arafat in case of his candidacy. (15.6%) believe that Marwan Barghouthi is the strongest candidate in competing with President Yassir Arafat.

President of the PCPO, Dr. Nabil Kukali, stated that the poll took place from September 29, 2004 to October 03, 2004 and the average age of the respondents was 33.5 years.

Kukali also stated that the percentage of female respondents was (47.5%), while that of the male ones was (52.5%) .He also explained that the respondents’ location of residence was as follows: (46.4%) city, (39.1%) village, (14.2%) refugees camp. He pointed out that the average size of the respondents’ families was (7.3) persons, and the average number of schooling years was 12.1 years.

Dr. Nabil Kukali said the results of the poll were as follows:

1. Are you with or against a time extension for entering the register of electors giving thereby people more chance to participate in the next elections?

1. With 72.2%
2. Against 18.3%
3. Don’t know 9.5%

2. If elections were being held today, which political party would you vote for?

1. People’s party 2.1%
2. The popular front for the liberation of Palestine (PFLP). 6.6%
3. Fateh 34.1%
4. Hamas 19.2%
5. The democratic front for the liberation of Palestine (DFLP) 3.1%
6. The Islamic jihad 5.4%
7.  FIDA 1.4%
8. Independents 14.0%
9. Popular struggle (nidal) front 0.5%
10. Other 3.2%
11. None of the above 10.4%

3. Are you going to participate in the next legislative elections?

1. Yes 65.2%
2. No 21.7%
3. No opinion 13.1%

4. Do you believe that elections in various political institutions will or not achieve reformation in the PA’s institutions?

1. Will achieve reformation 53.1%
2. Will not achieve 35.3%
3. Do not know 11.6%

5. Are you going, or not going to boycott the elections if the opposition calls for that?

1. Yes 37%
2. No 46%
3. No opinion 17%

6. Would you vote or not vote for President Arafat if he puts up for the elections?

1. Would vote 44.9%
2. Wouldn’t vote 41.1%
3. No opinion 14.0%

7. Some people in the west bank and Gaza strip support holding legislative elections in the Palestinian territories soon, while the others support their postponement to a later stage., which is closer to your opinion?

1. Holding legislative elections soon. 46.9%
2. Postponing legislative elections to a later stage 32.9%
3. Do not know 20.2%

8. Are you in favor of holding legislative elections before or after the local / village elections?

1. Before local / village elections 59.8%
2. After local / village elections 22.5%
3. No opinion 17.1%

9. Does your objection to the conduction of municipal / local or legislative elections at present attributes to:

(This question should be addressed to those participants, who don’t support the conduction of elections)

1. Religious reasons 9.5%
2. Partial reasons 14.1%
3. Security reasons 17.1%
4. Indifference to the elections 10.7%
5. Uselessness of the elections 15.0%
6. Don’t know 33.6%

10. If elections were being held in the next few months, do you believe they would or not be impartial?

1. Impartial 25.1%
2. Somewhat impartial 31.4%
3. Partial 33.6%
4. No opinion 9.9%

11. If PLC elections were being held today, would you vote or not vote for your current constituency representatives?

1. Would vote 52.4%
2. Wouldn’t vote 34.3%
3. Do not know 13.3%

12. Given the choice, do you prefer a man or a woman to represent you in the various political institutions, or it would make no difference?

1. Man 38.1%
2. Woman 17.6%
3. No difference 37.2%
4. Do not know 7.1%

13. Have you already entered the register of electors as to participate in the next elections?

1. I did 52.2%
2. I didn’t yet 36.8%
3. I’ll never do that 11.0%

14. Some people in the territories of the Palestinian authority believe that FATEH movement will score excellent results in the elections, whereas others believe that the Islamic resistance movement HAMAS will score the excellent results in the elections. Which is closer to your opinion?

1. Fateh 41.5%
2. Hamas 32.6%
3. Not sure 25.9%

15. In the PLC and PA’s presidency elections that were held in January 1996, the late nationalist “Samiha Khalil” was the only rival to Mr. Arafat for presidency. If election were being held today for the PA’s presidency, for whom would you vote ?(open question) .

1. Marwan Bargouthi 15.6%
2. Mahmoud Abbas”Abu Mazen” 12.1%
3. Ahmad Qrei’ 11.3%
4. Mohammad Dahlan 8.8%
5. Hahmoud Alzahar 8.5%
6. Mustafa Barghouthi 6.0%
7. Ahmad Alsa’dat 1.7%
8. George Habash 1.3%
9. Intesar Alwazeer 1.3%
10. Nayef Hawatmeh 1.0%
11. Abed Alsatar Qasim 0.8%
12. Yasser Abed Rabbo 0.8%
13. Ghassan Alshaka’ 0.8%
14. Tayyeb Abdel Raheem 0.8%
15. Isma’il Haniya 0.6%
16. Jibreel Rjoub 0.6%
17. Saeb Ereikat 0.6%
18. Haider Abdel Shafi 0.6%
19. Nabil Abu Rodayna 0.4%
20. Hamed Albetawe 0.4%
21. Hanan Ashrawi 0.4%
22. Abdallah Al-Shami 0.4%
23. Nabil Sh’ath 0.2%
24. Kadora Fares 0.2%
25. Sari Nisebeh 0.2%
26. Abbas Zaki 0.2%
27. Farouq El-Qaddoumi 0.2%
28. Abed Raheem Mallouh 0.2%
29. Khaled Mesh’al 0.2%
30. None 12.5%
31. Don’t know 11.3%

16. Some people in the West Bank and Gaza strip support suicidal attacks in Israel, while others support a halt to such attacks now. Which is closer to your opinion?

1. Such attacks must halt 43.9%
2. Such attacks must continue 42.8%
3. Refuse to answer / do not know 13.3%

17. Do you strongly support, somewhat support, somewhat oppose, or strongly oppose the notion that says that the political process (i.e. peace process) is the best thing we can get under current conditions (i.e. international changes):

1. Strongly agree 18%
2. Somewhat agree 32.9%
3. Somewhat disagree 19.2%
4. Strongly disagree 17.6%
5. Do not know 12.3%

18. Location of residence:

1. City 46.6%
2. Village 39.2%
3. Refugee camp 14.2%

19. Religion:

1. Muslim 93.3%
2. Christian 6.7%

20. Practice of religion:

1. Secular 7.2%
2. Religious 56.3%
3. Traditional 30.2%
4. Religious Activist 6.3%

21. The most decisive factor in your voting for a certain candidate in the next Palestinian political elections will be:

1. The political agenda of the slate 25.3%
2. The character of the candidate 30%
3. Personal and family relation 7.2%
4. The economic and social programme 26.2%
5. Do not know 11.3%