Palestinians head to the polls in the West Bank and Gaza Strip on Thursday in the final test of the strength between the dominant Fatah faction and Hamas before they face off in legislative elections.
More than 400,000 people will be entitled to cast their ballots in 84 municipalities, the latest and largest phase of a process that began in late December when the radical Islamist movement Hamas entered the democratic process for the first time.
Hamas sent shivers down the spine of Fatah's leadership in January with a landslide victory in the first local elections in its Gaza stronghold, as voters expressed their disillusionment with the incompetence and cronyism which has characterised many councils.
The movement is hoping for similar results on Thursday, especially in areas of Gaza such as the southern town of Rafah, which has been radicalised by some of the bloodiest violence of the nearly five-year Palestinian uprising.
The battle between Fatah and Hamas is expected to be closer in the West Bank where elections are being held in 76 municipalities, including the cities of Bethlehem and Qalqilya.
Despite the rivalry, election officials say the campaign has been conducted in a peaceful atmosphere. The Palestinians also won widespread international praise in January for successfully staging a ballot to replace the late Yasser Arafat as their president.
"The campaign has taken place in calm climate and there have no major violations," Firhas Yaghi, head of the local elections commission's executive bureau, said.
Three thousand Palestinian police will be deployed in the municipalities to ensure that voting passes off smoothly.
Yaghi said the polls would be open for 12 hours from 7:00 am (0400 GMT), but might stay open longer if turnout is particularly strong.
Delegates from the Council of Europe and the US-based National Democratic Institute will monitor the vote.
"A fairly administered and representative election process will make a critical contribution to a stable, accountable and representative system of government for the Palestinian people" said Shannon OConnell, director of the NDIs programs in the West Bank and Gaza.
Hamas's decision to boycott the January presidential election enabled Mahmud Abbas to romp to victory.
Abbas has publicly welcomed Hamas's participation in the local elections and legislative elections which take place on July 17.
Privately, however, he is aware that Hamas has the ability to break his Fatah movement's long-time grip on power.
Palestinian political analyst Zakaria Al-Qaq said that even though campaigning had been "dominated by day-to-day life issues and not politics", the results will give the clearest indicator yet of how things will shape up in July.
"The result will reflect the balance of powers because those who go to the polls for local election will vote again for the legislative elections," he said. "The result can be seen as a credible opinion poll.
"In light of the results, both Fatah and Hamas will try to highlight their strong points and overcome their errors during the months leading to the legislative elections".
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