An exit poll Wednesday indicated Hamas would do well, likely blocking Abbas' Fatah from maintaining its majority in the 132-seat PalestinianLegislativeCouncil.
The skilled politician and speaker of the PalestinianLegislativeCouncil has made guarantees of universal support the determining factor in whether he will accept the post.
He served the Palestinian Authority as minister of economy and trade and minister of industry between 1994 and 1996, when he was elected a member of the PalestinianLegislativeCouncil.
Hamas, on the other hand, wants immediately to reconvene the PalestinianLegislativeCouncil, the mothballed parliament, in which it has a big majority, as a result of its victory in the general election of 2006.
Mr. COHEN: I think that what will be significant to the Israelis is if the Palestinian elections defeat Hamas and elect a list of members of the PalestinianLegislativeCouncil who are determined to go forward in peace.