Abbas wins election

Mahmoud Abbas who won some 66 percent of votes in Sunday's Palestinian presidential election as an exit poll showed dedicated his victory to late leader Yasser Arafat.

Addressing a rally of his Fatah supporters, Abbas proclaimed his victory in the election, the first of such since 1996.

"We offer this victory to the soul of brother Yasser Arafat," Abbas told the jubilant rally.

"We also dedicate it to all the martyrs and wounded and prisoners behind (Israeli) bars," he said.

Polls started at 7 a.m. (0500 GMT) and closed at 9 p.m. (1900 GMT), two hours later than scheduled.

According to a poll conducted by the independent Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, Abbas won 66 percent of the votes, leading his nearest rival by some 46 percent.

The final result will be announced by the Central Election Committee on Monday.

Shortly after the polls shut down, celebrations broke up all over the Palestinian territories.

Militants fired into the air and thousands of Abbas' supporters took to the streets, waving Palestinian national flags and pictures of Arafat and Abbas.

Abbas looked excited and meanwhile sober.

He told the crowd in Ramallah that he was facing hard tasks ahead.

"There are difficult missions waiting for us on how to build our state and how to find dignity to our people and our militants," said Abbas.

Abbas, 69, is a relative moderate among the Palestinian leadership and considered as a possible peacemaker by Israel.

Abbas can start new chapter in Mideast: Katsav

PLO chief Mahmoud Abbas can start a new chapter in Mideast history, Israeli newspaper Jerusalem Postquoted President Moshe Katsav as saying Sunday.

He pronounced the coming months as "the most fateful" in Israeli-Palestinian relations.

Katsav said the peace process can be revitalized and the foundations can be laid for the creation of a sovereign independent state of Palestine if the new leader does take action against Palestinian extremist groups.