BETHLEHEM/GAZA CITY: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was re-elected to lead his Fatah movement Saturday at its first convention in two decades, giving him a new mandate for peace talks with Israel, if he can also heal divisions among his people.
Abbas, who succeeded iconic Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat after his death in 2004, was elected unopposed, but the movement itself has lost its shine over the past five years. Its old guard has been accused of rampant corruption and nepotism and it has suffered military humiliation at the hands of archrival Hamas.
Addressing the conference after the voting through a show of hands, Abbas promised change. “This convention must be a new beginning for the Fatah movement,” he said to thunderous applause. “In our history we’ve had many launches and setbacks. Sometimes we have reached the edge of the abyss, but we have always returned stronger.”
Hundreds of delegates cheered and clapped as senior Fatah official Tayib Abdul Rahim announced Abbas’ re-election.
Under Fatah’s constitution Abbas can only lead the party for five years, until a new conference is held, but this is the first time Fatah members have met in 20 years and it is not clear when they will convene again.
Abbas pledged to lead Palestinians to statehood but the challenges facing him are many. On Abbas’ watch Fatah was trounced by Hamas in 2006 parliamentary elections, partly because of its corruption-tainted image. A year later, Hamas seized the Gaza Strip by force, politically splitting the Palestinian territories in two. Without a rapprochement, Abbas’ claim to represent all Palestinians in peace negotiations with Israel is shaky as he cannot impose authority over all the territories he seeks for a state, and will not be able to ensure security on southern Israel’s border with Gaza.
The indications of unity within his own movement so far judging by the Fatah conference are not promising, as the 2,000 members have tangled repeatedly over key issues. Already the conference has been extended until Tuesday because the original three days allotted have not been enough to work through the fractious members’ differences.
Only six of 18 committees have been able to present their reports so far. Younger party members have accused their elderly leaders of stacking votes to ensure the veterans’ remain in important positions.
Saturday’s discussions centered on ways to clean up the corruption-plagued party and offer an alternative to Hamas. Debate focused on how to restore Abbas’ authority in Gaza.
The congress has agreed that the Central Committee would comprise 21 members — 18 elected by the 2,500 congress members and three appointed. The congress is also due to elect the 120-member Revolutionary Council within the next two days, Ahmed Qorei told reporters. Abbas Zaki, a Fatah representative from Lebanon, said 100 candidates were running for membership of the Central Committee and 646 for the Revolutionary Council.
Qorei said the convention would hold elections for both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank at the same time, and insisted that “some Gaza members will contest the elections.” He said the modalities of the election were still under discussion.
The elections would be carried out in the hope that Hamas would allow Gaza-based Fatah members to run and vote in the elections.
In Gaza, Hamas summoned top Fatah leaders to police stations across the strip and warned them against participating in Fatah elections. The leaders included Ibrahim Abu Naja, Zakariya Al-Agha, Abdullah Abu Samahdeni and Mohammed Al-Nahal.
Fatah sources said Hamas security forces phoned several Fatah delegates to the conference to say that they should stay home, and not indulge in party politics. Violating this directive will result in arrest, they were warned.
Hamas has prevented some 400 Gaza-based Fatah officials from traveling to the West Bank to participate in the congress, citing a Fatah-led crackdown against Hamas supporters in the West Bank. The conference wants the Gaza delegates to vote via telephone or e-mail.
— With input from agencies
