March 9-11, 2006

Background:

After the remarkable winning of The Reform and Change block of more that half of the seats of the Legislative Council, President Mahmoud Abbas asked Hamas to form the new Palestinian government. Earlier, Israel and the United States avowed that they will not support a government formed by Hamas; Israel even declared that it will deal with the new government as an enemy.
The new prime minister made a first step on the path of forming a new government by engaging in negotiations with the parliamentary coalitions in an attempt to make them join the new government. The general attitude, however, of the second largest parliamentary coalition (Fateh) tends to refrain from participating in a government led by Hamas.
The international position concerning the winning of Hamas is reflected negatively on the international aid given to the Palestinian Authority. Such reality threatens of a difficult financial crisis, the signs of which became apparent through the delay in paying the salaries of the employees of the public sector.

The Results:

Following are the results of the 19th Palestinian Public Opinion Poll conducted by the Center for Opinion Polls and Survey Studies at An-Najah National University during the period from March 9 to 11, 2006. The University sponsors all polls conducted by its Center.
This poll undertakes the expectations and attitudes of the Palestinian people towards the new PLC, the formation of the new government and its agenda, in addition to political sympathies and other issues.
The sample included 1361 persons whose age group is 18 and above and who have the right to vote. The enclosed questionnaire was distributed on 860 persons from the West Bank and 501 persons from the Gaza Strip. The sample was drawn randomly and the margin of error is about ±3%; still 8.8% of the members of the sample refused to answer the questionnaire.
* The Opinions represented in the results reflect those of the study; they do not represent by any means the opinion of An-Najah National University.

Major results:

·58.5% from among respondents are content with the results of the legislative elections
·48.2% from among respondents believe that the new Legislative Council is fully capable of performing its duties.
·63.7% from among respondents believe that the members of the new  Legislative Council are efficient.
·69.4% from among respondents are content with the candidates who won in their electoral circles.
·33.4% from among respondents know the names of all representatives of their electoral circle.
·84.9% from among respondents have not received an invitation from the new LC members to discuss general concerns.
.82.8% from among respondents say that the major achievement they like the New PLC to accomplish is freeing prisoners, and imposing law and order with a 81.4%.
.33.9% from among respondents say that Hamas has the right to keep the major positions in the PLC for itself since it is the largest block; 8.7% say Hamas does not have that right.
.73% from among respondents say that Hamas has the desire to form a government in which all political blocks in the PLC are represented; 20.1% say the opposite.
.74.9% from among respondents reject the formation of a new government whose ministers are solely from Hamas.
.87.7% from among respondents support the formation of a government which includes all the political affiliations represented in the PLC.
.34.8% from among respondents are against a governmental agenda which reassures its commitment to all international agreements that the PLO committed itself to.
.46.2% from among respondents believe that the agenda of the new government will respond positively to the international demands.
.35.3% from among respondents say that the agenda of the new government will be in harmony with th