Adams congratulates Palestinian President

Gerry Adams on Tuesday evening sent his congratulations to newly-elected Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

The former Palestinian PM and the newly-elected leader of Palestinian party Fatah after the death of Yasser Arafat was elected Palestinian Authority president this week by a landslide.

Abbas won 65% of the vote, election officials said on Monday. Abbas' main challenger, independent Mustafa Barghouti, won 21%, while the remaining five candidates scored in the lower single digits.

The Sinn Féin President wished Abbas well in his efforts to bring about a just and lasting peace for the Palestinian people and the formation of a Palestinian state.

"I believe that it is imperative that the international community respond by doing all in their power to ensure that the Israeli government enter into immediate and fair negotiations with the Palestinian Government," said Adams.