President Mahmoud Abbas addressing the Fatah conference. WAFA photo by Thayer Aghanym.

RAMALLAH, November 29, 2016 (WAFA) – Some 1400 delegates of the seventh Fatah conference Tuesday elected by consensus President Mahmoud Abbas as chairman of Fatah movement.

Salim Zanoun, member of Fatah Central Committee, told the meeting held at the presidential headquarters in Ramallah that the committee members nominate Abbas as head of the movement and proposed that the plenum vote on that directly.

Following the announcement, the members cheered and clapped indicating approval of Abbas’s nomination as chairman.

In his acceptance speech, Abbas said “We are meeting here today to write a new chapter in the march of our leading movement.”

He described this moment as “historical” telling the delegates that “you are today laying the foundation for a stronger and more stable period in the history of our movement.”

He added: “Your presence here today is proof of your decision to hold on to Fatah and its national program because Fatah is here to stay until it achieves its goals of liberation, independence and the establishment of the sovereign independent state.”

M.K.