Abbas wraps up party's convention

• published: 23 Jul 2015
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SHOTLIST 1. Wide of Fatah convention 2. Mid of Fatah official reading results of Revolutionary Council vote 3. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas entering room, audience applauding, cheering 4. Mid of Abbas greeting audience, audience applauding, cheering 5. Wide of Abbas speaking 6. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian President: ++AUDIO AS INCOMING++ "Several tasks remain before us, the main one is the Palestinian national dialogue. We insist, in spite of all that is going on in terms of obstacles and provocative practices, that we must call for this dialogue and the success of this dialogue. We have called for elections, for democracy, since we have democracy, which the whole world praises us us for, we have a democratic history. Thus we call for presidential and legislative elections, and this will be the base for the coming dialogue (with Hamas) in Cairo." 7. Abbas on stage, audience applauding 8. Abbas shaking hands with other Fatah members 9. Mid of Fatah members celebrating end of convention 10. Mid of audience 11. Set up shot of Fadwa Barghouti, wife of Marwan Barghouti, West Bank Fatah commander serving five life terms in an Israeli prison and elected Fatah member 12. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Fadwa Barghouti, wife of Marwan Barghouti, West Bank Fatah commander serving five life terms in an Israeli prison and elected Fatah member: "This is a clear response that Fatah supporters decided to choose and elect Palestinian Fatah fighters. I see this as a victory and a determination to continue the struggle and the fight against occupation towards achieving freedom and independence." 13. Mid of Fadwa Barghouti 14. Mid of Fatah members celebrating end of convention STORYLINE Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas officially wrapped up his Fatah party convention on Saturday after the announcement of election results for the 120-seat Revolutionary Council, Fatah's legislative body. Abbas said that "several tasks" remained the priorities of his party, first of all what he defined as "the Palestinian national dialogue", meaning talks with the Islamic militant group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip. Hamas were democratically elected in a 2006 Palestinian parliament vote. Hamas then broke off with the government of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas following months of conflict over power-sharing with the new government. The group eventually took control of the Gaza Strip in June 2007, leaving Abbas' government and Fatah party in nominal control of the occupied West Bank only. Official results of voting for Fatah's main policy-making body, the Central Committee, were announced earlier this week. The main trend of younger, local leaders replacing old-time revolutionaries as the centre of power in Fatah was maintained, according to the official count announced by election committee head Ahmed Sayad. The revamped makeup of the Fatah Central Committee could burnish the movement's image among disillusioned Palestinians and boost chances for an effective role in peace talks with Israel. Younger leaders won 14 of the 19 seats of the Committee, including Marwan Barghouti, the West Bank Fatah commander serving five life terms in an Israeli prison, and deposed Gaza strongman Mohammed Dahlan. "I see this as a victory and a determination to continue the struggle and the fight against occupation towards achieving freedom and independence, said Fadwa Barghouti, wife of Marwan Barghouti. Fatah opened its convention - the first in 20 years - in the West Bank city of Bethlehem on August 4. US President Barak Obama's administration is set to present a Mideast peace plan in a few weeks. =============== Clients are reminded: You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/5c95a153313c7abce7826839909e7e9c Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork