What is at stake as Fatah holds its 8th general congress?

EXPLAINERDelayed for years, the congress is seen as a pivotal moment for Palestinian leadership consolidation amid war and succession talk.The Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah) is convening its eighth general congress on Thursday, May 14. While officially a routine organisational event, the gathering is taking place at one of the most volatile junctures in Palestinian history.Here is what you need to know about the congress and why it is being described as a “quiet battle” for the movement’s future.What is the Fatah General Congress?The congress is Fatah’s highest decision-making body. According to its internal bylaws, it should meet every four years to elect its top leadership: the 18-member Central Committee and the 80-member Revolutionary Council.This 8th congress was originally due in 2021 but has been delayed for five years. The previous meeting, the 7th congress, took place in 2016. Approximately 2,580 members are participating across four locations – Ramallah, Gaza, Cairo, and Beirut – to overcome the geographical fragmentation of the movement.Why is there talk of ‘engineering’ the outcomes?Critics and analysts suggest that the leadership has carefully curated the list of delegates to ensure a pre-determined result. By “flooding” the congress with more than 2,500 members – many of whom are senior officials in the Palestinian Authority (PA) security and civil services – the leadership is accused of prioritising loyalty over democratic debate.“There is unprecedented controversy regarding the selection criteria,” Ahmed Rafiq Awad, president of the al-Quds Center for Political Studies, told Al Jazeera. “The goal seems to be controlling the results to avoid any ‘leaps into the unknown’ and establishing a new phase free of provocative voices.”