Palestinian Elections Postponed: Abbas Cancels Legislative Vote, Presidential and Parliamentary Polls Now Set for September 2027
JERUSALEM: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has postponed the legislative elections. According to Palestinian state media, he issued a decree setting both presidential and legislative elections for September 11, 2027, to be held simultaneously.The decree followed a decision by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee and consultations with Palestinian factions and political groups. The WAFA…
JERUSALEM: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has postponed the legislative elections. According to Palestinian state media, he issued a decree setting both presidential and legislative elections for September 11, 2027, to be held simultaneously.
The decree followed a decision by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee and consultations with Palestinian factions and political groups. The WAFA news agency said the consultations reached a national consensus that Israeli measures are obstructing the holding of the scheduled elections. They also stressed the need for suitable political, security and on-the-ground conditions for free, fair and inclusive elections.
The legislative elections, strongly backed by the international community, had been due on November 28 this year, with a presidential vote expected in early 2027. Abbas, 85, blamed uncertainty over whether Israel would allow voting in Jerusalem, as well as in the occupied West Bank and Gaza. The decision comes three months after he announced the first national elections in 15 years, a move widely seen as a response to criticism of the democratic legitimacy of Palestinian institutions, including his own presidency.
In a speech on Palestinian TV on Friday morning, Abbas cited the dispute over Jerusalem as the main reason. “Faced with this difficult situation, we decided to postpone the date of the legislative elections until the participation of Jerusalem and its people is guaranteed,” he said. “There will be no compromise on Jerusalem.”
