This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/8194552.stm
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 0 | Version 1 |
---|---|
Fatah replaces party leadership | Fatah replaces party leadership |
(about 3 hours later) | |
The Fatah faction of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has voted to overhaul its top executives in its first election in two decades, partial results show. | |
At a congress in Bethlehem in the West Bank, 15 new officials were voted into 18 contested central committee seats. | |
Among them was Marwan Barghouti, a popular figure held in an Israeli jail, and Mohammed Dahlan, a divisive figure strongly disliked by Hamas supporters. | |
The party has been seeking to restore its image as corrupt and divided. | |
In 2006 it lost elections to rival faction Hamas, which now controls Gaza. | |
Injecting new blood into the decision-making body has been seen as a key part of the reform process. | |
Younger members of the organisation have long complained it was dominated by an "old guard" of ageing politicians who were contemporaries of its founder, Yasser Arafat, who died in 2004. | |
Less than half of the 10 members of the so-called "old guard", who were seeking re-election, managed to hold onto their seats on the central committee, Reuters news agency reported. | Less than half of the 10 members of the so-called "old guard", who were seeking re-election, managed to hold onto their seats on the central committee, Reuters news agency reported. |
New faces | |
According to partial results from the poll, the Fatah veteran Ahmed Queria, who was the first Palestinian prime minister, lost his seat. | |
Election results for Fatah's other ruling body, the Revolutionary Council, are expected later on Tuesday. | |
Can Fatah reinvent itself Profile: Fatah movement | Can Fatah reinvent itself Profile: Fatah movement |
The congress on Saturday backed Mr Abbas as the party leader, a post which he has held since the death of Fatah's founder, Yasser Arafat, in 2004. | The congress on Saturday backed Mr Abbas as the party leader, a post which he has held since the death of Fatah's founder, Yasser Arafat, in 2004. |
The 2,000 delegates also backed changes to the party's charter, but retained the right to "resistance" by "all means". | The 2,000 delegates also backed changes to the party's charter, but retained the right to "resistance" by "all means". |
A commitment to "two states for two people" was added, specifying that a Palestinian state should be established on the basis of 1967 borders - meaning all of the West Bank and Gaza, delegates said. | A commitment to "two states for two people" was added, specifying that a Palestinian state should be established on the basis of 1967 borders - meaning all of the West Bank and Gaza, delegates said. |