Legislative election postponed as Palestine announces presidential election date
Photo: Reuters
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has canceled the legislative election scheduled for November. The decision was made on Saturday due to the deteriorating situation in the Palestinian territories. New dates have been announced for the presidential and legislative elections, with both scheduled for September 11, 2027. The Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported the information.
A decree issued by Abbas cited “obstacles created by Israeli actions” as the reason for the inability to hold the election in November. It said appropriate political, security and on the ground, conditions must be ensured to hold “free, fair and inclusive elections.” The decree called on Palestinians in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza to participate in the elections.
There had already been considerable uncertainty over whether the Palestinian Authority elections would be held in late November. No legislative or presidential elections have been held in Palestine since 2005 and 2006. Following that period, Abbas's rival Islamist group Hamas took control of Gaza and ousted Abbas loyalists from the territory.
The decree said Israeli military raids in the West Bank, particularly in East Jerusalem, settlement expansion, settler violence and restrictions on movement had made it difficult to organize and prepare for the elections on the previously scheduled date. It also cited Israel's withholding of tax revenues owed to the Palestinians.
Regarding Gaza, the decree highlighted “exceptional security and humanitarian conditions,” the incomplete withdrawal of Israeli forces, the lack of progress in reconstruction and the failure to implement arrangements for deploying an international stabilization force and police.
The decree also noted that Israeli restrictions on access to Gaza and East Jerusalem for election commission staff and international observers had complicated preparations.
The decision to postpone the elections was made following a proposal by the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and consultations with various Palestinian groups and political forces. The decision was also intended to allow time for comprehensive national dialogue to strengthen Palestinian unity and address the challenges facing the electoral process.
