Fatah said on Thursday that it would not join a coalition government led by Hamas, which emerged victor from the Jan. 25 parliamentary elections.

Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat, who is a senior member of the mainstream Fatah movement, made the statement after holding a brief meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

"Hamas will be asked to establish a new cabinet," Erekat told reporter, adding that Fatah will not join the Hamas-led government but remain a opposition.

The senior Fatah official also said that the movement will rebuild itself after the apparent Hamas victory in Wednesday's parliamentary ballot.

Meanwhile, Nabil Amro, a senior Fatah leader in the West Bank who is also former information minister, echoed Erekat remarks, saying that Fatah would never agree to join a cabinet led by Hamas.

"We are not against forming any political partnership with any Palestinian party, but I am sure that my movement, Fatah, will oppose to forming a coalition cabinet with Hamas," said Amro.

But Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said that neither Erekat nor Amro was a decision maker in Fatah, adding that Hamas will hold wide-ranging consultations with all concerned parties over the formation of a new cabinet.

"There are many personal opinions (from the Fatah movement), but these opinions do not represent Fatah's official stance," said Abu Zuhri.

Earlier, Hamas claimed that it has won 77 seats of the 132-member Legislative Council, defeating Abbas' Fatah movement.

If confirmed winner, Hamas will establish a new government in accordance with the Palestinian law, which stipulates that the party or faction that holds a majority in the parliament will form the cabinet.

Shortly after Hamas' claiming victory, Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei, also a senior Fatah member, and other cabinet members, submitted their resignations, which were accepted by Abbas.

Final results of the elections will be announced later in the day.