Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization The Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (or Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization) is the leader of the Executive Committee (EC) of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the executive body of the PLO, which was established in 1964. The Chairman represents the PLO and the Palestinian people before the international community, including the United Nations. The Chairman is chosen by the members of the PLO EC. Since 29 October 2004, Mahmoud Abbas has been the Chairman of the PLO EC. Yasser Arafat was appointed leader of the PLO on
President of the State of Palestine time, the PLO that elected him was led by Arafat himself. After Arafat's death in November 2004, the office was vacant. In May 2005, four months after Abbas was elected President of the Palestinian Authority, the PLO Central Council asked Abbas to act as President of State of Palestine. On 23 November 2008, the PLO Central Council formalized the function by electing Abbas President of the State of Palestine. The PLO organs that appointed Abbas in 2005 and 2008 were and still are led by Abbas himself. On 15 November 1988, Yasser Arafat became the symbolic President of the State