A leadership conference of the Palestinian Fatah movement has unanimously re-elected the 81-year-old President Mahmoud Abbas to a new five-year term.

Party official Salim Zanoun asked the gathering Monday to elect Abbas “by consensus.”

The hundreds of delegates stood up and applauded Abbas, who then hugged Zanoun.

The five-day conference is expected to cement Abbas’ control of Fatah and lock out his chief rival, the exiled Mohamed Dahlan.

(AP)