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Fatah replaces party leadership Young leaders dominate Fatah vote
(about 2 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. Younger leaders have gained powerful posts in Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction, early results from its first poll in 20 years show.
At a congress in Bethlehem in the West Bank, 15 new officials were voted into 18 contested central committee seats. Mr Abbas remains the head, but several veterans apparently lost seats on the powerful central committee.
Among them was Marwan Barghouti, a popular figure held in an Israeli jail, and Mohammed Dahlan, a divisive figure strongly disliked by Hamas supporters. Popular jailed leader Marwan Barghouti, and influential Mohammad Dahlan, who is disliked by supporters of rival faction Hamas, were both set to gain seats.
The party has been seeking to restore its image as corrupt and divided. Young members wanted to depose an "old guard" seen as divided and corrupt.
In 2006 it lost elections to rival faction Hamas, which now controls Gaza. The party, which lost elections to Hamas in 2006, has been trying to restore its image as ineffective and dominated by cronyism.
Injecting new blood into the decision-making body has been seen as a key part of the reform process. Preliminary results from the vote during the congress in the West Bank town of Bethlehem showed new officials had gained 14 out of 18 seats on the powerful central committee.
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. Heather Sharp, BBC News, Jerusalem
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. Finally, the vote was held, after a long week, dogged by rows and factions' fears that their rivals had stacked the conference with sympathisers.
New faces Palestinians may be heartened that Fatah got this far, and the sway of ageing exiles who do not share their daily struggles has been reduced.
According to partial results from the poll, the Fatah veteran Ahmed Queria, who was the first Palestinian prime minister, lost his seat. But the so-called "new blood" are all established players in Palestinian politics, and still have a lot to prove if they are to convince voters they have left behind the days of corruption and infighting under Arafat.
While they broadly agree on a two-state solution, there are differences over Hamas. Mr Barghouti's supporters want to push harder for unity - and he remains in jail in any case - while Mr Dahlan is at the forefront of the feud.
Elections slated for 2010 will not happen without some kind of deal with Hamas. So for most Palestinians, a unified leadership with a popular mandate to fight their cause on the international stage remains as far off as ever. Can Fatah reinvent itself Profile: Fatah movement
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, the results showed.
The Fatah veteran Ahmed Qurei, who was the first Palestinian prime minister, was on course to lose his seat.
Saeb Erekat, a key negotiator with Israel, and Jibril Rajoub, who like Mr Dahlan has led one of the party's security forces, also gained posts on the committee, the partial results showed.
Election results for Fatah's other ruling body, the Revolutionary Council, are expected later on Tuesday.Election results for Fatah's other ruling body, the Revolutionary Council, are expected later on Tuesday.
class="" href="/2/hi/middle_east/8183711.stm">Can Fatah reinvent itself class="" href="/2/hi/middle_east/1371998.stm">Profile: Fatah movement Fatah has long been divided between the ideologically-driven contemporaries of the movement's founder Yasser Arafat, who have spent years exiled overseas, and younger, more pragmatic, locally-born leaders who have negotiated with Israel.
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. Mr Barghouti and Mr Dahlan are the best known of the new members.
Mr Barghouti was a popular grassroots leader during the intifada or uprising that began in 2000 and has been seen as a potential unifying successor to Arafat.
But he is currently serving five life terms in Israel for organising attacks in Israel. He denies the charges and has said he opposes attacks on civilians in Israel.
Mr Dahlan was the head of a powerful Fatah security force in Gaza, which was forced to leave after fighting with Hamas in June 2007.
He was strongly disliked by Hamas and other Islamist groups before that, after he led crackdowns against them.
The congress on Saturday elected Mr Abbas unopposed as the party leader, a post which he has held since the death of 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.
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