The son of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas won a seat on Fatah’s top decision-making body on Sunday, as initial results emerged from the Palestinian movement’s first congress in years.
Yasser Abbas, 64, a businessman who spends most of his time in Canada, secured a place on the central committee after being appointed around five years ago as his father’s “special representative” – a role that marked his gradual emergence on the political scene.
Jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti topped the preliminary results, retaining his seat on the committee with the highest number of votes, according to figures seen by AFP.
Jibril Rajoub was reelected as the secretary-general of the committee, retaining the seat he has held since 2017.
Palestinian vice president Hussein Al-Sheikh, Fatah deputy leader Mahmoud Al-Aloul and ex-Palestinian intelligence chief Tawfiq Tirawi also held their seats on the body.
Among the newcomers was Zakaria Zubeidi, 50, a former commander of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades — Fatah’s armed wing in the Jenin refugee camp — who was freed from Israeli prison last year under a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas.
Two women also won seats, including Ramallah governor Laila Ghannam.
The three-day congress, held simultaneously across Ramallah, Gaza, Cairo and Beirut, drew 2,507 voters — a turnout of 94.64 percent, organisers said.
Fifty-nine candidates competed for 18 seats on the central committee, while 450 vied for 80 seats on the revolutionary council, the party’s parliament.
Counting for the council was still under way.
The congress opened Thursday, with Abbas being reelected as head of the movement.
In his opening address, he vowed to pursue reforms and hold long-delayed presidential and parliamentary elections.