1996 Palestinian Presidential Election
The Authority's first vote20 January 1996 · Presidents of the Authority
General elections were held for the first time in the Palestinian territories on 20 January 1996 to elect the President of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), the legislative arm of the PNA. They took place in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem.
The Authority's first election, held under the Oslo Accords with Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the PFLP boycotting. Arafat faced a single challenger, the 72-year-old social worker Samiha Khalil.
President before
Yasser Arafat
Fatah
President (re-elected)
Yasser Arafat
Fatah
Winning share
89.8%
Turnout
71.7%
The result
| Yasser Arafat | Fatah | 643,079 | 89.82% |
| Samiha Khalil | Independent | 72,887 | 10.18% |