West Bankupdated 1h ago3 min read
Mahmoud Abbas Postpones Palestinian Legislative Elections, Citing Political, Security, Economic Conditions
Palestinian Authority postpones elections scheduled for November 28 due to worsening conditions. Postponement would be the first since 2006, with potential shift to September 2027.
Elections Set for Delay
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to announce the postponement of Palestinian legislative elections scheduled for November 28, which would have been the first such vote since 2006, according to multiple Palestinian sources. Palestinian Vice President Hussein Al Sheikh informed France that a Palestinian legislative election planned for November 28 will be postponed, possibly until September 2027, because the assessment found that “the anticipated political, security and economic conditions, on which the scheduling of the legislative elections for 28 November 2026 was based, have not materialized.” The Countercurrents.org report said bilateral meetings held in Cairo on Wednesday and Thursday between Palestinian factions, including a Fatah delegation, produced a preliminary understanding on the need to delay the vote, citing Israel’s firm refusal to allow the elections to be held in occupied Jerusalem and Gaza.
The Reuters letter described obstacles to holding the vote, saying “holding them under the current circumstances faces fundamental obstacles affecting their inclusiveness, freedom of participation and the integrity of the electoral process.” The Reuters account also said Abbas had reaffirmed plans to hold the elections during a speech to the United Nations on September 24, even as the postponement discussions intensified.
Cairo Talks and Faction Splits
Palestinian factions weighed whether to push back the Nov. 28 legislative elections after talks in Cairo, with Fatah spokesman Abdel Fattah Dolah telling The Associated Press that the date would be settled through “dialogue and national consensus” among the factions.
Jibril Rajoub, secretary-general of Fatah’s Central Committee, told Al-Sharq television that the goal of the Cairo discussions was to reach a comprehensive national dialogue and rebuild the Palestinian political system around the principle of “one authority, one law and one legitimate weapon.”
Mohammed al-Hindi, deputy secretary-general of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, told the Associated Press that the factions had “reached understandings regarding the renewal of Palestinian national dialogue and agreed to postpone the upcoming Palestinian elections.”
Basem Naim, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, said the decision to hold elections on the original timetable had been premature, adding, “Elections are part of a democratic process, and they must be based on solid internal Palestinian dialogue.”
The Associated Press account also said not all factions backed a delay, with Helmi al-Araj warning that consensus demands must not become a pretext for shelving a vote that could “end rule by decree and by one individual.”
What Is at Stake Next
The Civic Coalition for Election Oversight rejected any move to disrupt or delay the legislative elections scheduled for November 28, warning that repeating the scenario of voiding the 2021 elections would deal a knockout blow to the remaining legitimacy of the political system. The coalition argued that elections are a fundamental right of citizens, not a grant to be withdrawn, and it warned that postponement would leave a dangerous vacuum that deepens separation between the two areas. The Reuters letter said Palestinian officials recommended to Abbas that “the date of the legislative elections be adjusted by several months, and that dialogue continue to prepare the internal conditions,” after assessing political, security and economic conditions.
The Reuters account also said Palestinian officials expected conditions to improve through the implementation of US President Donald Trump’s peace initiative and a UN Security Council resolution, including the deployment of international forces and Palestinian police in Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas and the withdrawal of Israeli troops. The Associated Press reporting said the elections scheduled for November are limited to choosing the 132 members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, while presidential elections were scheduled for the first quarter of 2027, according to an announcement published on the Palestinian president’s website.