Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas issued a decree on Thursday calling for legislative elections for November 28.
If it happens, it would be the first such vote in the Palestinian territories since 2006.
“The presidential order calls on the Palestinian people in Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip to participate in free and direct legislative elections to elect members of the Palestinian Legislative Council on a specified date,” the Palestinian Authority’s official Wafa news agency said.
Abbas, 90, won presidential elections in 2005 with a four-year mandate that would have ended in 2009.
However, the following year, Hamas defeated its Fatah party in the parliamentary vote. Both the legislature and voting were effectively suspended due to the separation of powers.
Demand for first vote in a generation is growing
The median age in the Palestinian territories is around 20 years old, meaning the majority of the population has never voted.
Holding legitimate elections has become a demand of the international community that financially supports the Palestinian Authority (PA). Last month, Abbas had also announced to hold presidential elections in 2027.
However, it is unclear how much power the Ramallah-based PA and Abbas actually hold. The group has faced significant criticism from both Palestinians and abroad for political stagnation, corruption, and declining legitimacy.
It also remains to be seen how elections can be held in Gaza, where most buildings and infrastructure were destroyed in two years of Israeli attacks. Additionally, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) is set to assume power in the territory, as Hamas has said they will hand over the technical panel again, as agreed in the US-backed peace deal with the Israeli government.
Edited by: Zack Crellin
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