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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has announced that the legislative elections will be held in late November this year, the first since 2006.
According to the news agency Wafa, President Abbas issued a presidential decree setting Saturday, November 28, 2026, as the date for holding legislative elections across all Palestinian territories, including Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Wafa reported that the President, through the decree, called on the Palestinian people to participate in "free and direct legislative elections" to elect members of the Palestinian Legislative Council on the specified date. The decree "aims to consolidate the foundations of democracy and complete the electoral process that has begun in the State of Palestine." If the vote goes ahead, it will be the first in 20 years. The last legislative elections in the Palestinian territory were held in 2006, when Hamas secured a victory, defeating Abbas's Fatah party, which had previously dominated Palestinian politics. The defeat led to a split within the party, culminating in Hamas taking control of Gaza in 2007, Al Jazeera reported. As a result, the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), the parliament of the Palestinian Authority, has not met since 2007. According to Al Jazeera, several obstacles must be addressed before the proposed elections can proceed. A primary concern is the participation of Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem, as Israel has not yet publicly commented on the announcement. Israel's failure to provide guarantees regarding voting in that area led to the cancellation of previously scheduled presidential and legislative elections in 2021. Furthermore, the ongoing conflict in Gaza presents significant logistical hurdles. The Israeli military offensive has internally displaced nearly all of the enclave's 2.1 million inhabitants, destroyed over 90 per cent of its infrastructure, and disrupted the population registry, making the administration of a vote currently unfeasible, Al Jazeera reported. Additionally, Al Jazeera reported that President Mahmoud Abbas, who was elected to a four-year term in 2005, has remained in power for over two decades. His long-term governance by decree has drawn criticism from both domestic and international observers, who have alleged corruption and abuse of power. While Abbas stated last month that presidential elections will take place early next year, he has yet to clarify if he intends to run for another term. (ANI)
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