2005 Palestinian presidential election

The 2005 Palestinian Presidential elections were held in the West Bank and Gaza Strip of the Palestinian National Authority on Sunday, 9 January 2005 to elect the President of the Palestinian National Authority, to succeed Yasser Arafat, who had died on 11 November 2004.<ref>2005: Abbas triumphs in Palestinian elections. BBC, 9 January 2005</ref><ref>Abbas declared victor in Palestinian election. CNN, 11 January 2005</ref> The election was the first to be held since the 1996 general election, and voters elected Palestine Liberation Organization chairman Mahmoud Abbas for a four-year term.

Seven candidates contested the election. Abbas won over 67% of the votes cast, independent candidate Mustafa Barghouti came second with 21%, and the remaining candidates were far behind.<ref name=cbsnews>Palestinian Landslide For Abbas</ref> The election was boycotted by Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Hamas urged supporters to stay away, but did not try to disrupt the election. In the Gaza Strip, where Hamas is strongest, it is estimated that about half of the eligible voters voted.

No presidential elections have taken place since 2005. Abbas has continued in office since the expiration of the four-year term on 9 January 2009,<ref name=YNN>Report: Abbas won't run for another term Ynetnews, 16 December 2008</ref> with planned elections repeatedly postponed.

Candidates

On 25 November 2004, Fatah's Revolutionary Council endorsed Mahmoud Abbas as its preferred candidate for the presidential election, scheduled for 9 January 2005, despite his relative lack of popular appeal. Abbas was a former PA Prime Minister.

Marwan Barghouti, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council and Fatah leader in the West Bank, who was in an Israeli prison after being convicted for a number of intifada killings Template:Cn, suggested that he might run Template:Cn, inspiring considerable speculation about his prospects. He was seen as the only candidate who could hope to compete seriously against Abbas. However, his proposed candidacy met with resistance from Fatah activists Template:Cn. After contradictory announcements, Marwan Barghouti declared his candidacy just before the registration deadline expired but then withdrew from the race on 12 December, after discussions between his representatives and the Fatah leadership Template:Cn. Opinion polls before Marwan Barghouti withdrew his candidacy suggested that the contest would largely be between Abbas and Marwan Barghouti. Some of these polls showed:

• Abbas 44% / Marwan Barghouti 46% (±3%) (Development Studies Program, Bir Zeit University)
• Abbas 40% / Marwan Barghouti 38% (±3%) (Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research)
• Abbas 40% / Marwan Barghouti 22% (±3%) (Palestinian Center for Public Opinion) Template:Cn.

With Marwan Barghouti's withdrawal, Abbas was seen as the clear favourite, with Marwan Barghouti‘s cousin Mustafa Barghouti in second place.

Final list of candidates

• Mahmoud Abbas - Palestine Liberation Organisation. Former Prime Minister and current chairman of the PLO, endorsed by the Fatah Revolutionary Council on November 25, 2004.
• Abelhaleem Hasan Abdelraziq Ashqar - independent.
• Sayyid Barakah - independent.
• Mustafa Barghouti - independent. A democracy activist and head of the Palestinian National Initiative. His candidacy was supported by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Not to be confused with his cousin Marwan Barghouti.
• Taysir Khalid - Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine
• Bassam al-Salhi - Palestinian People's Party
• Abdel Karim Shubeir - independent

Three other candidates who registered by the end of the registration period subsequently withdrew: they were Marwan Barghouti, Hassan Khreisheh and Abd al-Sattar Qasim.

Registration

Preparation of voting register

The CEC had made enormous efforts to register all eligible Palestinian voters, but almost a third of eligible voters did not register or were unable to register. Problems were due to a not up to date civil registry and the translation of Arabic names, which were in Hebrew on Israeli ID cards. In an effort to boost low turnout, the CEC made a controversial decision in the final hours of polling day to allow unregistered voters to cast ballots using only their identity cards, which raised fears of multiple voting.<ref name="elections.ps"/> A Palestinian election official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Associated Press that the changes came after heavy pressure from Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement, which feared a low turnout could weaken Abbas. ("Abbas Wins Palestinian Vote in Landslide," Associated Press, 10 January 2005).

The day before the election the total number of registered voters was 1,092,407 according to a CEC press release.<ref>"Central Elections Commission (CEC) Upcoming Presidential Elections: Facts and Statistics," CEC, 8 January 2005</ref> On 23 November, the CEC said: "The number of registrants on the voters’ list reached 1,111,868, or 67 percent of the estimated number of eligible voters, during the registration process conducted between September 4 and October 13, 2004. Of these names, 19,000 were removed from the voters’ list because the accompanying data was incomplete or the names were repeated on the list. With this adjustment, the number of registered voters decreased to 1,092,856." ("46% of Registered Voters are Youths, 46% are Women.")<ref>CEC, 23 November 2004</ref>

Palestinian diaspora

Template:Unreferenced section According to UNRWA, there were 2.6 million Palestinians registered as refugees with the agency eligible to receive services who lived outside Palestine, in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. An unknown additional number sometimes estimated to be up to one million live in the diaspora in Europe, North and South America and in other Arab countries.

Conduct

The election was conducted by the Palestinian Central Elections Commission (CEC), which was also responsible for the preparation of an electoral register. The head of the CEC was Hanna Nasir, who was appointed in 2002 by Yasser Arafat. The CEC was established by the Palestinian Authority in 1995 as an independent body.<ref>Birzeit University, Dr. Hanna Nasir</ref>

The CEC experienced some technical problems, including those due to the incomplete electoral register. Persons not listed on the electoral register were permitted to vote on presentation of a valid identity card. In view of the registration problems, in an effort to boost low turnout, in the final hours of polling day the CEC was controversially instructed to extend voting by two hours beyond the appointed closing time to allow unregistered voters to cast ballots using only their identity cards. The decision raised fears of multiple voting.<ref name="elections.ps">Report on Second Presidential Elections January 9, 2005Template:Dead link, p.115-117</ref>

The election was observed by a number of international observers, including former President Jimmy Carter and U.S. Senators Joe Biden and John E. Sununu.

Obstruction by Israel Claimed by CEC

The election campaign faced problems due to the widespread blockade of the Palestinian territories by the Israel Defense Forces.Template:Cn Despite Israel's assurances that it would do what it could to ensure that the election took place, in many instances Israeli forces actively interfered in the campaign. Template:Cn Among reported incidents was the arrest of Mustafa Barghouti by Israeli forces and his subsequent expulsion from East Jerusalem when he was going to hold an election speech there. Template:Cn He was also prevented from entering Nablus and Gaza. Bassam al-Salhi, candidate for the socialist Palestinian People's Party, was also prevented from visiting East Jerusalem. Template:Cn Many of Abbas' opponents claimed that they were unfairly treated as Israel denied them entry to areas Abbas was allowed to visit during the election campaign. Abbas was the only candidate allowed access to Gaza.Template:Cn

Voter registration was hampered by closure of registration centers due to curfews, roadblocks and road closures.Template:Cn Registration staff and supervisors were detained. Template:Cn Israeli troops, used gas grenades and noise in the vicinity. Template:Cn The CEC claimed a number of centers were raided.<ref name=CEC-report>Report on Second Presidential Elections January 9, 2005Template:Dead link, p.33-36. Central Elections Commission (CEC); 30 March 2005 </ref>

Particularly East Jerusalem was affected. According to the CEC, checking of the names of voters in the voters list was prevented. Also the polling was supervised by the Israeli postal authority. The votes were not counted at the polling centers themselves, but first transported to the Jerusalem electoral constituency office in Dahiyat al-Barid. <ref>Report on Second Presidential Elections January 9, 2005Template:Dead link, p.68</ref> The CEC also said that voters were intimidated by recording the ID card numbers that were listed in the register and registration staff members were detained.<ref>Central Elections Commission (CEC), Elections Arrangements in Jerusalem.</ref>

The CEC said there were difficulties in accessing polling stations. In Khan Younis Israeli soldiers opened fire against a school used as a polling station and by roadblocks prevented thousands of people from getting to the polling stations.<ref name=imemc>Solana: Israel did not fulfill its commitment to facilitate Palestinian Elections Template:Webarchive, International Middle East Media Center. 11 January 2005</ref>

The European Union's foreign policy chief Javier Solana criticized Israel for insufficiently easing restrictions and was quoted as saying that "Israel did not fulfill its commitment as it should have." <ref name=imemc/>

Results

Mahmoud Abbas won the election with 67.4% of valid votes cast; 62.5% when invalid and blank votes are included.

Results by governorate

These totals, documenting the results in each of the 16 governorates of Palestine, also tabulate blank and invalid votes.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Governorate	Mahmoud Abbas Fatah		Mustafa Barghouti Independent		Taysir Khalid DFLP		Abelhaleem Hasan Abdelraziq Ashqar Independent		Bassam as-Salhi PPP		Sayyid Barakah Independent		Abdel Karim Shubeir Independent		Invalid votes		Blank votes		Total votes
	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%
Quds	17,356	61.68	Template:Party shading/Independent | 5,350	Template:Party shading/Independent | 19.07	Template:Party shading/Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine | 1,666	Template:Party shading/Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine | 5.94	Template:Party shading/Independent | 559	Template:Party shading/Independent | 1.99	Template:Party shading/Palestinian People's Party | 580	Template:Party shading/Palestinian People's Party | 2.07	Template:Party shading/Independent | 188	Template:Party shading/Independent | 0.67	Template:Party shading/Independent | 86	Template:Party shading/Independent | 0.31	Template:Party shading/Blank | 950	Template:Party shading/Blank | 3.39	Template:Party shading/Blank | 1,324	Template:Party shading/Blank | 4.72	28,059
Jenin	41,663	62.26	Template:Party shading/Independent | 12,065	Template:Party shading/Independent | 18.03	Template:Party shading/Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine | 4,029	Template:Party shading/Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine | 6.02	Template:Party shading/Independent | 1,427	Template:Party shading/Independent | 2.13	Template:Party shading/Palestinian People's Party | 1,865	Template:Party shading/Palestinian People's Party | 2.79	Template:Party shading/Independent | 513	Template:Party shading/Independent | 0.77	Template:Party shading/Independent | 181	Template:Party shading/Independent | 0.27	Template:Party shading/Blank | 2,765	Template:Party shading/Blank | 4.13	Template:Party shading/Blank | 2,410	Template:Party shading/Blank | 3.60	66,918
Tulkarm	26,288	54.88	Template:Party shading/Independent | 9,327	Template:Party shading/Independent | 19.47	Template:Party shading/Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine | 2,791	Template:Party shading/Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine | 5.83	Template:Party shading/Independent | 2,658	Template:Party shading/Independent | 5.55	Template:Party shading/Palestinian People's Party | 2,925	Template:Party shading/Palestinian People's Party | 6.11	Template:Party shading/Independent | 169	Template:Party shading/Independent | 0.35	Template:Party shading/Independent | 144	Template:Party shading/Independent | 0.30	Template:Party shading/Blank | 1,786	Template:Party shading/Blank | 3.73	Template:Party shading/Blank | 1,815	Template:Party shading/Blank | 3.79	47,903
Tubas	10,324	67.50	Template:Party shading/Independent | 2,389	Template:Party shading/Independent | 15.62	Template:Party shading/Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine | 933	Template:Party shading/Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine | 6.10	Template:Party shading/Independent | 257	Template:Party shading/Independent | 1.68	Template:Party shading/Palestinian People's Party | 157	Template:Party shading/Palestinian People's Party | 1.03	Template:Party shading/Independent | 66	Template:Party shading/Independent | 0.43	Template:Party shading/Independent | 52	Template:Party shading/Independent | 0.34	Template:Party shading/Blank | 510	Template:Party shading/Blank | 3.33	Template:Party shading/Blank | 607	Template:Party shading/Blank | 3.97	26,188
Nablus	53,048	59.30	Template:Party shading/Independent | 19,408	Template:Party shading/Independent | 21.70	Template:Party shading/Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine | 4,368	Template:Party shading/Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine | 4.88	Template:Party shading/Independent | 2,193	Template:Party shading/Independent | 2.45	Template:Party shading/Palestinian People's Party | 3,349	Template:Party shading/Palestinian People's Party | 3.74	Template:Party shading/Independent | 414	Template:Party shading/Independent | 0.46	Template:Party shading/Independent | 251	Template:Party shading/Independent | 0.28	Template:Party shading/Blank | 3,234	Template:Party shading/Blank | 3.62	Template:Party shading/Blank | 3,192	Template:Party shading/Blank | 3.57	89,457
Qalqilya	14,187	63.57	Template:Party shading/Independent | 4,496	Template:Party shading/Independent | 20.15	Template:Party shading/Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine | 655	Template:Party shading/Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine | 2.94	Template:Party shading/Independent | 347	Template:Party shading/Independent | 1.55	Template:Party shading/Palestinian People's Party | 559	Template:Party shading/Palestinian People's Party | 2.50	Template:Party shading/Independent | 144	Template:Party shading/Independent | 0.65	Template:Party shading/Independent | 51	Template:Party shading/Independent | 0.23	Template:Party shading/Blank | 904	Template:Party shading/Blank | 4.05	Template:Party shading/Blank | 973	Template:Party shading/Blank | 4.36	22,316
Salfit	10,584	55.70	Template:Party shading/Independent | 3,940	Template:Party shading/Independent | 20.73	Template:Party shading/Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine | 933	Template:Party shading/Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine | 4.91	Template:Party shading/Independent | 398	Template:Party shading/Independent | 2.09	Template:Party shading/Palestinian People's Party | 1,751	Template:Party shading/Palestinian People's Party | 9.21	Template:Party shading/Independent | 65	Template:Party shading/Independent | 0.34	Template:Party shading/Independent | 56	Template:Party shading/Independent | 0.29	Template:Party shading/Blank | 676	Template:Party shading/Blank | 3.56	Template:Party shading/Blank | 599	Template:Party shading/Blank | 3.15	19,002
Ramallah	41,552	58.98	Template:Party shading/Independent | 15,767	Template:Party shading/Independent | 22.38	Template:Party shading/Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine | 2,152	Template:Party shading/Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine | 3.05	Template:Party shading/Independent | 2,543	Template:Party shading/Independent | 3.61	Template:Party shading/Palestinian People's Party | 3,566	Template:Party shading/Palestinian People's Party | 5.06	Template:Party shading/Independent | 279	Template:Party shading/Independent | 0.40	Template:Party shading/Independent | 224	Template:Party shading/Independent | 0.32	Template:Party shading/Blank | 1,889	Template:Party shading/Blank | 2.68	Template:Party shading/Blank | 2,484	Template:Party shading/Blank | 3.53	70,456
Jericho	8,698	74.89	Template:Party shading/Independent | 1,603	Template:Party shading/Independent | 13.80	Template:Party shading/Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine | 205	Template:Party shading/Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine | 1.76	Template:Party shading/Independent | 109	Template:Party shading/Independent | 0.94	Template:Party shading/Palestinian People's Party | 338	Template:Party shading/Palestinian People's Party | 2.91	Template:Party shading/Independent | 38	Template:Party shading/Independent | 0.33	Template:Party shading/Independent | 15	Template:Party shading/Independent | 0.13	Template:Party shading/Blank | 275	Template:Party shading/Blank | 2.37	Template:Party shading/Blank | 334	Template:Party shading/Blank | 2.88	11,615
Bethlehem	29,406	61.07	Template:Party shading/Independent | 9,896	Template:Party shading/Independent | 20.55	Template:Party shading/Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine | 1,895	Template:Party shading/Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine | 3.94	Template:Party shading/Independent | 878	Template:Party shading/Independent | 1.82	Template:Party shading/Palestinian People's Party | 1,675	Template:Party shading/Palestinian People's Party | 3.48	Template:Party shading/Independent | 188	Template:Party shading/Independent | 0.39	Template:Party shading/Independent | 120	Template:Party shading/Independent | 0.25	Template:Party shading/Blank | 1,766	Template:Party shading/Blank | 3.67	Template:Party shading/Blank | 2,329	Template:Party shading/Blank | 4.84	48,153
Hebron	59,912	60.65	Template:Party shading/Independent | 23,004	Template:Party shading/Independent | 23.29	Template:Party shading/Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine | 2,579	Template:Party shading/Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine | 2.61	Template:Party shading/Independent | 1,914	Template:Party shading/Independent | 1.94	Template:Party shading/Palestinian People's Party | 2,274	Template:Party shading/Palestinian People's Party | 2.30	Template:Party shading/Independent | 653	Template:Party shading/Independent | 0.66	Template:Party shading/Independent | 298	Template:Party shading/Independent | 0.30	Template:Party shading/Blank | 3,909	Template:Party shading/Blank | 3.96	Template:Party shading/Blank | 4,236	Template:Party shading/Blank | 4.29	98,779
North Gaza	36,550	67.62	Template:Party shading/Independent | 10,670	Template:Party shading/Independent | 19.74	Template:Party shading/Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine | 825	Template:Party shading/Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine | 1.53	Template:Party shading/Independent | 1,826	Template:Party shading/Independent | 3.38	Template:Party shading/Palestinian People's Party | 495	Template:Party shading/Palestinian People's Party | 0.92	Template:Party shading/Independent | 432	Template:Party shading/Independent | 0.80	Template:Party shading/Independent | 594	Template:Party shading/Independent | 1.10	Template:Party shading/Blank | 1,603	Template:Party shading/Blank | 2.97	Template:Party shading/Blank | 1,061	Template:Party shading/Blank | 1.96	54,056
Gaza	62,113	68.52	Template:Party shading/Independent | 14,461	Template:Party shading/Independent | 15.95	Template:Party shading/Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine | 1,500	Template:Party shading/Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine | 1.65	Template:Party shading/Independent | 3,431	Template:Party shading/Independent | 3.78	Template:Party shading/Palestinian People's Party | 540	Template:Party shading/Palestinian People's Party | 0.60	Template:Party shading/Independent | 828	Template:Party shading/Independent | 0.91	Template:Party shading/Independent | 2,143	Template:Party shading/Independent | 2.36	Template:Party shading/Blank | 3,488	Template:Party shading/Blank | 3.85	Template:Party shading/Blank | 2,147	Template:Party shading/Blank | 2.37	90,651
Deir al-Balah	28,944	66.44	Template:Party shading/Independent | 7,803	Template:Party shading/Independent | 17.91	Template:Party shading/Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine | 653	Template:Party shading/Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine | 1.50	Template:Party shading/Independent | 1,272	Template:Party shading/Independent | 2.92	Template:Party shading/Palestinian People's Party | 550	Template:Party shading/Palestinian People's Party | 1.26	Template:Party shading/Independent | 939	Template:Party shading/Independent | 2.16	Template:Party shading/Independent | 384	Template:Party shading/Independent | 0.88	Template:Party shading/Blank | 1,832	Template:Party shading/Blank | 4.21	Template:Party shading/Blank | 1,190	Template:Party shading/Blank | 2.73	43,657
Khan Yunis	37,733	62.01	Template:Party shading/Independent | 10,255	Template:Party shading/Independent | 16.85	Template:Party shading/Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine | 992	Template:Party shading/Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine | 1.63	Template:Party shading/Independent | 1,208	Template:Party shading/Independent | 1.99	Template:Party shading/Palestinian People's Party | 348	Template:Party shading/Palestinian People's Party | 0.57	Template:Party shading/Independent | 5,014	Template:Party shading/Independent | 8.24	Template:Party shading/Independent | 830	Template:Party shading/Independent | 1.36	Template:Party shading/Blank | 2,980	Template:Party shading/Blank | 4.90	Template:Party shading/Blank | 1,488	Template:Party shading/Blank | 2.45	60,848
Rafah	23,090	65.97	Template:Party shading/Independent | 5,793	Template:Party shading/Independent | 16.55	Template:Party shading/Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine | 672	Template:Party shading/Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine | 1.92	Template:Party shading/Independent | 1,151	Template:Party shading/Independent | 3.29	Template:Party shading/Palestinian People's Party | 457	Template:Party shading/Palestinian People's Party | 1.31	Template:Party shading/Independent | 476	Template:Party shading/Independent | 1.36	Template:Party shading/Independent | 288	Template:Party shading/Independent | 0.82	Template:Party shading/Blank | 2,105	Template:Party shading/Blank | 6.01	Template:Party shading/Blank | 970	Template:Party shading/Blank | 2.77	35,002
Total	501,448	62.52	Template:Party shading/Independent | 156,227	Template:Party shading/Independent | 19.48	Template:Party shading/Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine | 26,848	Template:Party shading/Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine | 3.35	Template:Party shading/Independent | 22,171	Template:Party shading/Independent | 2.76	Template:Party shading/Palestinian People's Party | 21,429	Template:Party shading/Palestinian People's Party | 2.67	Template:Party shading/Independent | 10,406	Template:Party shading/Independent | 1.30	Template:Party shading/Independent | 5,717	Template:Party shading/Independent | 0.71	Template:Party shading/Blank | 30,672	Template:Party shading/Blank | 3.82	Template:Party shading/Blank | 27,159	Template:Party shading/Blank | 3.39	802,077

International response

The EU praised the election, with European Commission president José Manuel Durão Barroso describing it as "a very important step towards the creation of a viable and democratic Palestinian state".<ref>Abbas achieves landslide poll win, BBC News, 10 January 2005</ref>

External links

• Central Elections Commission (CEC)Template:Dead link
• News reports from IMEMC about the election
• Template:Usurped