Addressing a rally of Fatah supporters, Abbas proclaimed his victory in the first election since 1996 and the second presidential election ever. "We offer this victory to the soul of brother Yasser Arafat," Abbas told the jubilant rally.

He also dedicated the win to those who had died or been wounded and to Palestinians incarcerated in Israeli prisons.

The polls opened at 7:00 AM (0500 GMT) and closed at 9:00 PM (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, Mustafa Barghuti, by about 45 percentage points. The Central Election Committee will announce the final result on Monday.

Shortly after the polls shut down, celebrations broke out allover 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 told the crowd in Ramallah that they are facing hard tasks ahead in building the Palestinian state.

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

(Xinhua News Agency January 10, 2005)