Mahmoud Abbas needed a strong mandate, analysts said (Agencies)

Mahmoud Abbas has claimed victory in the Palestinian presidential election and dedicated his win to late leader Yasser Arafat.

Exit polls suggest Mr Abbas won around two-thirds of the vote but an official result is not likely until Monday.

The Central Elections Commission said turnout was at least 66%.

Analysts said Mr Abbas needed a wide margin of victory and high turnout to push his agenda of peace talks and an end to the armed Palestinian uprising.

Polling closed at 1900 GMT on Sunday, two hours later than scheduled after voting difficulties forced an extension.

Mr Abbas addressed a rally of hundreds of supporters in the West Bank town of Ramallah, telling them: "I present this victory to the soul of Yasser Arafat and present it to our people, to our martyrs and to 11,000 prisoners" in Israeli jails.

One exit poll by the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research has given Mr Abbas 66% of the vote and his closest challenger, Mustafa Barghouti, 19.7%.

A second by An Najah University gives Mr Abbas 69.5% and Mr Barghouti 24.5%.

However, a late surge in voting means it may be some time before official figures are known.

US President George W Bush praised Sunday's election.

He said it was, along with upcoming parliamentary polls, "essential for the establishment of a sovereign, independent, viable, democratic and peaceful Palestinian state that can live alongside a safe and secure Israel".

There are 1.8m Palestinians who are eligible to vote.

Voting was reported brisk but there were problems with registration, heavy turnout and the turning away of hundreds of voters from a big Israeli-run polling station in East Jerusalem.

Voters complained that Israeli officials were not allowing them to vote even though the Palestinian central election commission had properly registered them.

One election monitor said he thought up to 500 voters had been turned away.

Under special voting arrangements for East Jerusalem - which Israel has annexed and sees as its exclusive domain, while international law decrees it to be occupied territory - Palestinians are allowed to vote in Israeli post offices.

(Agencies)

turnout: the number of people who actually vote at an election（選舉中的實際投票人數）

martyr: one who sacrifices his life, his station, or what is of great value to him, for the sake of principle, or to sustain a cause.（烈士，殉教者）