Fatah reappoints Palestinian president as its head

BETHLEHEM, West Bank —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 arch-rival Hamas.

Addressing the conference Saturday, 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 that Abbas had been chosen again to lead the party.

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. The Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority rules the West Bank only, and Abbas has not been able to foster reconciliation between his party and Hamas.

Without a rapprochment, 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.

Abbas has led a crackdown on Hamas militants in the West Bank, as a part of now-stalled negotiations with Israel. The plan is to bolster his standing with the Palestinians by improving their daily lives.

The indications of unity within his own movement so far judging by the Fatah conference, are not promising, as the 2,000 members meeting for the first time since 1989 have tangled repeatedly over key issues.

Already the conference has been extended until Tuesday because the original three days allotted have not been enough 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.