Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas cast his ballot in Fatah's internal leadership election, held at the presidential headquarters in Ramallah on Saturday. The elections aim to select leaders for the movement's Central Committee and Revolutionary Council at the Ahmad Shuqairi Hall.
After voting, President Abbas stressed the need to ensure the success of the democratic process, which he said would reflect the movement's unity and commitment to renewing leadership institutions, according to the Wafa news agency.
The eighth general congress is Fatah's highest decision-making body and comes at a most tense time in Palestinian history, as the war waged by Israel continues. The election was originally scheduled for 2021 but was delayed by five years. The previous congress, the seventh, took place in 2016.
Nearly 2,580 members are voting at four locations — Ramallah, Gaza, Cairo and Beirut — to overcome the movement's geographical fragmentation. Abbas stated: "This year is the year of democracy. We held an important conference for Fatah youth, then organized local elections last April. Today is Fatah's eighth conference, and we are preparing for the National Council election in November, as well as general and presidential elections, beginning with drafting a constitution, political party law, and general election law."
Results of Fatah's eighth general congress are expected to be announced Saturday evening local time. The question of who will succeed Abbas at age 90 is a central focus of the congress. Analysts suggest the congress is a move to weaken democratic mechanisms and install a loyalist group in key positions to manage the power transition.
