On January 21, 1996, after winning 88.1 percent of the Palestinians’ votes, Yasser Arafat was announced as the first Palestinian President. 
After the announcement of Arafat’s victory, Palestinians took to the streets and celebrated the occasion. While the majority of world leaders congratulated Arafat, the Iranian clerical regime rejected the election. On January 21, Reuters reported: the Iranian regime rejected Arafat’s victory in the Palestinian election and described the election as the sign of the Palestinian autonomous government’s shaky columns.