The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) on Saturday welcomed Hamas' decision to participate in the Palestinian legislative elections in July.

The radical group Hamas, which boycotted the first Palestinian parliamentary elections in 1996, announced on Saturday that it would participate in the Palestinian Legislative Council elections on July 17 in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.  

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a PNA spokesman, described the decision as "good for the Palestinian question and political life."

"This is a positive decision; it will revive Palestinian political life," senior Fatah leader Jamal Shoubaki said. He said Hamas would have to "carry a part of the national burden rather than "just win seats and vote no."

Meanwhile, he called for a solution to the crisis over political reform in the Fatah movement before the elections.

 (Xinhua News Agency March 13, 2005)