predecessor office term_start article_title name alma_mater
yasser arafat chairman of the palestine liberation organization 29 october 2004 mahmoud abbas
 mahmoud abbas damascus university
mahmoud abbas

mahmoud abbas -lrb- , ; born 26 march 1935 -rrb- , also known by the kunya abu mazen -lrb- , -rrb- , is the president of the state of palestine .
he has been the chairman of the palestine liberation organization -lrb- plo -rrb- since 11 november 2004 and has been palestinian president since 15 january 2005 -lrb- first as president of the palestinian national authority and then palestine since 8 january 2013 -rrb- .
abbas is a member of the fatah party .
mahmoud abbas was elected to serve until 9 january 2009 , but due to palestinian internal conflict he unilaterally extended his term for another year and continues in office even half a decade after that second deadline expired .
as a result , fatah 's main rival , hamas announced that it would not recognise the extension or view abbas as rightful president .
abbas was chosen as the president of the palestinian authority by the palestine liberation organization 's central council on 23 november 2008 , a job he had held unofficially since 8 may 2005 .
he resigned as leader of the plo on 22 august 2015 .
abbas served as the first prime minister of the palestinian authority from march to october 2003 , when he resigned citing lack of support from israel and the united states as well as `` internal incitement '' against his government .
before being named prime minister , abbas led the plo negotiations affairs department .
one of his chief negotiators is saeb erekat .
