President of the State of Palestine

The President of the State of Palestine is the head of the State of Palestine. He is also the President of the Palestinian National Authority. Both functions were held by Yasser Arafat from 1988 and continued by his successor Mahmoud Abbas. In May 2005, the PLO Central Council asked Abbas to carry out the duties of the President of the State of Palestine. In November 2008, the PCC approved the continuation of Abbas' function as President of the State of Palestine.

On 15 November 1988, the Palestine Liberation Organization proclaimed the State of Palestine (SoP). Yasser Arafat, as Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization assumed the title of "President of Palestine". The United Nations recognized the PLO as the "representative of the Palestinian people". The PLO established a parliament and a government in exile, both representing the Palestinian people worldwide.

The Oslo Accords established parallel the Palestinian National Authority (PA) and a parliament, both representing the Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories. From 1994, Yasser Arafat assumed the title of President of the Palestinian National Authority, which was consolidated by the 1996 Presidential elections. Since then, both functions (President of SoP and PA) were simultaneously executed by a single person.

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