Dr Mustafa Barghouti is a physician, a Palestinian human rights activist and one of the most prominent leaders in the Palestinian struggle. He was a candidate for the presidency of the Palestinian National Authority in 2005, finishing second to Mahmoud Abbas with nearly 20% of the vote. Dr Barghouti subsequently served as Minister of Information in the short-lived unity government in 2006. He is currently the General Secretary of the Palestinian National Initiative, a party he co-founded in June 2002 with, among others, Edward Said. Dr Barghouti has played an instrumental facilitation role in the recent Palestinian reconciliation process. He currently lives in Ramallah.