Hosni Mubarak has been re-elected leader of Egypt's ruling party after a vote by members at the start of a party conference.
Members of the National Democratic Party (NDP) voted on Saturday by a margin of 5,248 to 9 to keep the Egyptian president as head of the party for another five years, state news agency MENA said.
It was the first time since Mubarak was chosen to head the party in 1981 that the NDP leadership has been decided by a secret ballot.
In previous party conferences, members simply pledged an oath of allegiance to Mubarak.
Grooming successor
Mubarak is believed to be preparing his son Gamal, now a senior party official, to be his eventual successor.
But the 43-year-old former investment banker has denied having any ambitions to inherit the presidency from his father.
Some analysts say a succession to Gamal could only happen while Mubarak is alive to prevent a power struggle or military intervention.
Making the transition to the presidency more complex, Mubarak has refused to appoint a vice-president.
The route to the presidency has come via the vice-presidency in Egypt's two previous successions.