President Abbas before the Revolutionary Council: We are ready for general elections and to strengthen national unity based on the PLO's program

SadaNews - The President of the State of Palestine, President of the Palestinian National Liberation Movement "Fatah" Mahmoud Abbas, chaired the inaugural session of the newly elected Revolutionary Council of the Fatah Movement, held at the presidential headquarters in Ramallah today, Thursday, coinciding with Gaza, Cairo, and Beirut, in the presence of the elected members of the Central Committee.

The meeting started with the Palestinian national anthem and a recitation in memory of the souls of the Palestinian martyrs, followed by obtaining the legal quorum to commence the inaugural session, where Vice President Hussein Sheikh delivered a speech welcoming the convening of the Revolutionary Council elected by the eighth conference of the movement, emphasizing its importance in undertaking its national duties in the face of the challenges facing our national cause.

President Mahmoud Abbas delivered an important political speech during the opening of the session, stating: "I am pleased to meet with you today at the first meeting of the newly elected Revolutionary Council, following the great success achieved by the eighth general conference of Fatah, which convened under very difficult and complex circumstances, inside the homeland and in Gaza, Egypt, and Lebanon."

President Abbas added: "These elections have proven the vitality of the movement and its ability to renew itself, to continue the creative and great march of the founding leaders, symbol of the leader Yasser Arafat, Abu Jihad, Abu Iyad, and the rest of the leaders," reiterating the commitment to democracy, national unity, and independent national decision-making.

The president congratulated the elected members who gained the trust of the Fatah movement's members and were elected to the Central Committee and the Revolutionary Council, and to all members of the movement who participated, each in their position, in this democratic entitlement and contributed to its success.

He considered that the real winner in this democratic process is the Fatah movement, affirming its unity and historic role in leading the Palestinian national project.

The president explained that the success of the eighth general conference was not merely an organizational entitlement but a political and national message that confirms the vitality of the Fatah movement and its capacity for renewal and development, while maintaining its internal unity despite all challenges.

The president indicated that our responsibility today is to translate the conference's outcomes into action programs and executive plans that enhance the presence and leadership of the movement among our people, and respond to the aspirations of the younger generations, women, and all sectors of Palestinian society. He said.

President Abbas stated, "The trust that the movement's members have given you is not an honor, but a great national responsibility at a stage when our cause and people face existential challenges; due to the ongoing aggression and siege and deepening the suffering of our people, while what is required is to move to implement the second phase of President Trump's plan that we welcomed, and we demand its implementation including the Israeli withdrawal and the beginning of the recovery and reconstruction process in the Gaza Strip."

He added: Our people face a systematic erosion to prevent the realization of the Palestinian state, and the continuation of Israeli assaults that violate international law through settlement expansion and settler terrorism, and attempts at annexation in the West Bank including Jerusalem, holding our people's funds, and assaulting the historical and legal status of our Islamic and Christian sanctities in Jerusalem.

He pointed out that what is required from us today is to continue steadfastness, and enhance peaceful popular resistance, and the presence of the movement among our people, continuing to defend our national project.

The president expressed readiness to implement Security Council Resolution 2803, stressing the importance of continuing to rally support from brothers, friends, and partners in the international coalition to implement the two-state solution according to the resolutions of international legitimacy, and the New York Declaration, appreciating the support of nations and peoples around the world for the efforts of the Palestinian leadership and the Palestinian people to end their suffering and achieve their freedom and independence.

The president emphasized the importance of continuing efforts to strengthen national unity and dialogue based on commitment to the Palestine Liberation Organization as the legitimate and sole representative of our Palestinian people, its political program and international commitments, the principle of one system, one law, and one legitimate weapon, and enhancing peaceful popular resistance.

The president stressed the complete readiness to organize the elections of the Palestinian National Council scheduled for next November, which includes general legislative elections in the homeland and elections abroad, and the completion of the preparation of the constitution, the political parties law, and the general elections law, ensuring the establishment of a state of institutions, the rule of law, political pluralism, and the peaceful transfer of power, with the presidential elections to be held next year.

He considered that these steps come as a continuation of the democratic path we began with youth elections, then local authority elections, then the eighth general conference of Fatah movement, a path that reflects the will of our people and their commitment to participation and democracy.

The president called on the Revolutionary Council and the Central Committee to work in a spirit of teamwork, and to promote the culture of internal dialogue and organizational discipline, and adherence to the decisions of the movement and its elected institutions, maintaining the unity of Fatah and its leading role in the Palestinian national project.

He also emphasized the importance of opening up to the energies of youth, women, and Palestinian competencies in the homeland and diaspora, enabling them to actively contribute to the institutions of the movement, the state, and the Palestine Liberation Organization, considering them a strategic asset for the future of our people and our national cause.

He renewed the commitment to continue implementing the national reform program that we pledged before our people and the international community, including enhancing governance, transparency, and the rule of law, developing the security and justice sectors, modernizing government administration, developing educational curricula according to UNESCO standards, enhancing the unified social protection system, combating corruption, and entrenching the principles of accountability and integrity.

The president emphasized the continuation of cooperation with international and regional partners to accomplish the reform program according to the specified timelines, enhancing the efficiency of state institutions, and establishing citizens' trust in their national institutions, which serves the steadfastness of our people and enhances the position of the State of Palestine on the international stage.

The president also confirmed that the issue of Palestinian refugees will remain at the core of our national project, and that we will continue to defend the right of return and compensation in accordance with Resolution 194, and to protect UNRWA and support its continued work until a just solution to the refugee issue is found in accordance with international legitimacy decisions.

The president stated that our people expect much from us, and the coming phase requires diligent work and a high level of responsibility, prioritizing the supreme national interest, enhancing the steadfastness of our people, and achieving their national goals of freedom and independence, and we are confident that the Central Committee and the Revolutionary Council will rise to this historic responsibility at this critical stage of our people's journey.

The president addressed our people in the Gaza Strip, who have clung to their homeland and continue to resist policies of displacement, extermination, and daily suffering, saying: "We are with you in one trench, and along with us are our people in the West Bank and Jerusalem and in the camps of the diaspora, facing conspiracies to liquidate our national cause, and we will remain committed together to embody the independence of our Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem."