Palestinian politician elected to top Fatah leadership position

Palestinian Businessman Elected to Fatah’s Central Committee

A central committee meeting of the Palestinian faction Fatah has concluded, with Yasser Abbas, 64, a businessman from Canada, being elected to the committee despite spending most of his time abroad. The Eighth General Conference, which took place in Ramallah over three days, saw Abbas join the committee after being appointed as his father’s “special representative” around five years ago.

The conference, attended by 2,507 voters with a turnout of 94.6 percent, also saw Marwan Barghouti retain his seat on the committee with the highest number of votes. Jibril Rajoub was re-elected as secretary-general, while Hussein Al-Sheikh retained his position as vice president.

The outcome of the conference has been subject to criticism, and Abbas’s election to the central committee is seen as a significant development in the post-Abbas era. The congress also saw Mahmoud Abbas re-elected as head of Fatah, with the 90-year-old leader vowing to reform the Palestinian Authority and hold long-delayed presidential and parliamentary elections.

The conference comes amid mounting international pressure on the Palestinian Authority to implement reforms and hold elections, following widespread accusations of corruption and political stagnation. The PA is under pressure from US President Donald Trump to implement sweeping reforms as a condition for its participation in post-war Gaza.

Fatah’s central committee is expected to play a key role in shaping the movement’s future, with Abbas’s election seen as a significant step towards securing his position within the party. However, the elder Abbas remains firmly in command, and the conference has failed to clarify who will lead Fatah after him.

Source: Al Jazeera