BEIJING, Aug. 10 -- The Palestinian Fatah movement began internal elections Sunday in Bethlehem to select new members for its top legislative bodies.

    Nearly 100 candidates ran for its 22-member central committee, with more than 600 competing for the 120-seat revolutionary council.

    Palestinian National Authority president and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas also cast his ballot.

    The elections took place on the sixth day of a Fatah convention. The event sparked controversy last week as Hamas prevented 400 Fatah members from leaving Gaza to attend.

    Saturday, Fatah delegates re-elected Abbas as the movement's leader in an uncontested endorsement.

    SOUNDBITE: Rafiq al-Husseini, chief of Abbas bureau "I am sure of that. Because Fatah after 20 years has this conference, people thought it split the movement (but) it hasn't. The movement is united and has very successful conference until now. People are voting, and therefore I am sure they will bring in much better performance by Fatah as united party in the next elections."

    Fatah is a mainstream Palestinian political faction founded by late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

    Hamas and Fatah have been in a power struggle since the Islamic Hamas movement routed pro-Abbas forces and seized control of Gaza in 2007.

    Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Gaza. (XHTV)