Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) مَحْمُود عَبَّاس |
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2nd President of the State of Palestine | |
Assumed office 8 May 2005 Acting: 8 May 2005 – 23 November 2008 |
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Preceded by | Yasser Arafat |
Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization | |
Assumed office 29 October 2004 Acting: 29 October 2004 – 11 November 2004 |
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Preceded by | Yasser Arafat |
2nd President of the Palestinian National Authority | |
Assumed office 15 January 2005 • |
|
Prime Minister |
Ahmed Qurei Nabil Shaath (Acting) Ahmed Qurei Ismail Haniyeh Salam Fayyad Rami Hamdallah |
Preceded by | Rawhi Fattouh (interim) |
Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority | |
In office 19 March 2003 – 6 September 2003 |
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President | Yasser Arafat |
Preceded by | Position established |
Succeeded by | Ahmad Qurei |
Personal details | |
Born |
Safed, Mandatory Palestine |
26 March 1935
Political party | Fatah |
Spouse(s) | Amina Abbas |
Children | Mazen Abbas Yasser Abbas Tareq |
Residence | Ramallah, West Bank |
Alma mater |
Damascus University Patrice Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University |
• Abbas's term as President expired 15 January 2009, since when Aziz Duwaik has been recognised as President by the Haniyeh government in the Gaza Strip, while Abbas is recognised as President by the Fayyad government in the West Bank and all the states that recognise the independence of Palestine, as well as the UN. |
Mahmoud Abbas (Arabic: مَحْمُود عَبَّاس, Maḥmūd ʿAbbās; born 26 March 1935), also known by the kunya Abu Mazen (Arabic: أَبُو مَازِن, 'Abū Māzin), is the President of the State of Palestine and Palestinian National Authority. He has been the Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) since 11 November 2004, and Palestinian president since 15 January 2005 (Palestinian National Authority since 15 January 2005, and State of Palestine since 8 May 2005). Abbas is a member of the Fatah party.
Abbas was elected on 9 January 2005 to serve as President of the Palestinian National Authority until 9 January 2009, but extended his term until the next election in 2010, citing the PLO constitution, and on December 16, 2009 was voted into office indefinitely by the PLO Central Council. As a result, Fatah's main rival, Hamas, announced that it would not recognize the extension or view Abbas as the rightful president. Abbas was chosen as the President of the State of Palestine by the Palestine Liberation Organization's Central Council on 23 November 2008, a job he had held unofficially since 8 May 2005.