HE President Mahmoud Abbas
HE President Mahmoud Abbas

Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, is the President of the Palestinian National Authority, and chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization. He is one of the few surviving founder members of Fatah, the main political grouping within the PLO, and was one of the principal architects of the Oslo Peace Process. He accompanied Yassir Arafat to the White House to sign the Oslo Accords. He was elected President of the PNA in 2005 in what was due to be a four-year term. No elections have been held since then, and so he remains President. President Abbas opposed the β€œDeal of the Century”, refusing promises of billions worth of investment, but suffered the consequences with aid cuts of hundreds of millions of dollars by the US leaving the economy in ruins. The financial crisis has led to deep salary cuts which in turn have fuelled further unpopularity to his rule.

Source of Influence: Political

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