The president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, published this Saturday (10) a presidential decree calling for simultaneous presidential and legislative elections for September 11, 2027.
The determination postpones the holding of the legislative election by almost a year, which was originally scheduled for November 28, 2026, while the presidential election was expected for the beginning of next year.
In a statement released by the official Wafa news agency, the Palestinian presidency justified the change in calendar due to “obstacles imposed by Israeli measures”, which prevent the vote from being held on the scheduled dates. The Palestinian government denounced that Israel blocked access for members of the Central Election Commission and international observers to East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.
The decree also highlighted the need to establish adequate political, logistical and security conditions to ensure a “free, fair and inclusive” electoral process. The text mentions the destruction and humanitarian conditions in Gaza resulting from Israeli military operations, settler violence and restrictions on movement in the occupied West Bank, as well as Israel’s systematic withholding of Palestinian tax revenues.
The decision to postpone the electoral calendar was preceded by a meeting held on Wednesday (7), in Cairo, which brought together four Palestinian organizations, including Fatah, the party led by Abbas, and Hamas. During the meeting mediated by Egypt, the organizations agreed to open a broad national dialogue process and recommended postponing the election.
Israel’s reaction
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar rejected the accusations and criticized the announcement on social media. The Israeli foreign minister declared that Abbas “has not organized elections for more than 20 years” and stated that holding Israel accountable would represent an attempt to “evade its responsibilities and avoid the need for accountability.” Israel has its own legislative elections scheduled for October 27.
The Palestinian population has not participated in general elections for two decades. The last legislative election took place in 2006, when Hamas won the majority of parliamentary seats. The result intensified disputes with Fatah, culminating in 2007 in the split between Hamas’ administration of the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian Authority’s control of parts of the West Bank.
Since the political rupture, the Palestinian Legislative Council has not met again. Abbas was elected to the presidency in 2005 for a four-year term that expired in 2009, and has governed through decrees since then.
In 2021, the Palestinian leader even called legislative and presidential elections, but the process was suspended on the grounds that Israel did not offer guarantees for the vote of Palestinians residing in East Jerusalem.
Source: www.brasildefato.com.br
