Mahmoud Abbas Elected President of the State of Palestine

On January 9, 2005, the Palestinian presidential election was held to determine the successor to Yasser Arafat, who had passed away in November 2004. This election was the first since 1996 and took place under the supervision of the Palestinian Authority (PA). The main candidate was Mahmoud Abbas, the leader of Fatah, who campaigned on a platform of diplomacy, negotiations with Israel, and internal reforms. His strongest opponent was Mustafa Barghouti, an independent candidate who advocated for democratic change and resistance to Israeli policies. With a voter turnout of approximately 62%, Mahmoud Abbas won the election with 62.52% of the vote, securing the presidency of the Palestinian Authority. Mustafa Barghouti finished in second place with 19.48%. Other candidates, including leftist and independent figures, received smaller percentages of the vote. This election was seen as a crucial moment for Palestinian leadership, as Abbas aimed to restart peace negotiations and reform governance. However, political divisions, particularly with Hamas, would later pose significant challenges to his administration. #PalestinianElections #MahmoudAbbas #PalestinianAuthority #MiddleEastPolitics #MomentsOfLife #MoofLife