Fifty percent of voters expressed their support towards the Oslo agreement, while 17% opposed it, and the reminder (33%) were wavered in between support and opposition. (Note, similar results were obtained in recent CPRS surveys.)

All Palestinian political parties participated in the elections, regardless of pre-election positions on participation in elections (i.e. to participate or boycott). The overall sample distribution of political party affiliation is as follows: 57.4% Fateh, 6.9% Hamas, 4.5% PFLP, 3.3% Hizb Al-Sha'b, 2.0% Islamic Jihad and less than 1.0% for both Feda and DFLP and the rest (24.5%) Independents. Note, these results do not substantially vary from those regularly obtained by CPRS, except for Hamas which usually gains more than 12% of support.

Ninty-three percent of voters described their favorite candidate as educated, 87.8% described him/her as possessing valued morality, 84% as a struggler, 79.7% as having served his/her district, 51.7% as religious, and 42.2% as a descendant from notable family.

The results showed that the most significant criterion in selecting candidates was the participation in the national struggle while religiosity came second. The next important criterion is the morality as well as candidate's services to the district, thereafter the candidate's level of education. The less important criterion was candid's decent from a notable family. Regarding role of family, 34% declared that one of their relatives was among candidates, and of those half voted for their relatives while the other half (17%) didn't.

The expectation for the elected council was that it upholds the general national interest. The voters believed that the elected council will play an important role in making decisive decisions. The expectations for the elected council were higher among the less educated people as 74% declared that the council will play an important role, while 47% of university graduates shared the same expectations. Also, attitudes varied in this respect between those who voted for Arafat and Samiha Khalil, as 68% of Arafat supporters indicated that the council will have an important role, while 35% of Samiha Khalil's voters indicated same expectation.

To emphasize the importance of the elected council, 41% of voters support the idea of decisive issues to be in the hands of elected council members, 30% support the idea of these decisions to be in the hands of PNA president, 15% in the hands of the national council and 8% in the hands of the executive committee of the PLO. 38% of women support the idea that the president should enjoy authority in decision-making, but men were more supportive of the idea that the decision-making should be in the hands of the elected council. There is a relationship between education and views on the role of the PNA president vs. the council on decision-making. Thirteen percent of the educated prefer that the decisive decisions in the hand of the PNA president. But among those with less education, 42% shared same opinion. As for the elected council, 48% of educated people believed that it will be capable in making the right decisions, and 36% of those who are less educated shared same opinion. Among those who voted for Samiha Khalil, 37% believed that decisio-making should be in the hands of the elected council, 19% in the hands of national council, 17% in the hands of the PNA president. Among those who voted for Yasser Arafat, 42% wanted decision-making to be in the hands of the council, 32% in the hands of president, and 15% in the hands of the national council.

Overall, Palestinians oppose the view that decision-making authority be vested in one person. This observation is based on the finding that 80% of voters support the idea that council's authorities to be either equal or wider than that of president's. Also, education is an important factor in forming views of voters on this matter, as 38% of the less educated segment support the idea that the council should have wider authorities than the president and 50% of university graduates shared same opinion. Moreover, support was greater for the domination of council among those who affiliated with opposition factions rather than those who affiliated with Fateh. Also, 61% of those who voted for Samiha Khalil supported dominance and authority of council against the presidency compared with 38% of Arafat supporters.

Among Palestinians there is great support for human rights and freedom of the press. 66.6% of voters declared that PNA should guarantee freedoms and rights subject to the law, even in cases where contradictions might arise between freedom and rights and what PNA viewed as national interest.

Among other vital issues which concern Palestinians and which they expect the elected council to play a major role in the final negotiations with Israel. Thirty one percent expressed that this is the most important issue that concerns them. The second most important issue as seen by the voters was economic development and unemployment (28%). There was also a great concern of securing stability and security with 22%, and promotion of democracy with 18%.

Eighty percent of voters expected that candidates' concerns should be the national interest and serving society in general and not to be devoted to personal or family interests. Also 90% of voters demanded that the interests of candidates should revolve around the Palestinian society in general and not on the electoral districts they represent. Of those who voted for Samiha Khalil, 31% declared that the council members will be more concerned in their own personal and family interests.

As for electoral campaign promises, 43% of voters believed that once elected these candidates would fulfill their promises, 47% believed that they will fulfill their promises to a certain extent, while the remaining 10% believed that the candidates will not fulfill their promises.

Eighty five percent of voters declared that Yasser Arafat is the most qualified for leading the Palestinian people from among the presidency candidates. On the other hand, 4.5% thought that Samiha Khalil is more qualified. Seven percent of voters thought that none of the candidates were qualified.

As for voting patterns for the candidates, more women voted for Yasser Arafat than men, while votes for Samiha Khalil came from men and women proportionately, with a slight increase in the percentage of men's votes. This was related to gender, age and education levels. Among those who voted for Arafat, the highest percentage of votes was among women aged 34 or over. In the case of Samiha Khalil, voters were evenly distributed between men and women aged 34 years or younger. There is clear relationship between voting for both candidates and voters levels of education; the percentage voting for Arafat decreases as education level increases and in the case of Samiha Khalil voting increases as the level of education increases. There was a higher support for Arafat in Gaza Strip than in the West Bank.