Palestinian parliamentary elections scheduled for Nov. 28 are expected to be postponed, amid difficulties holding the vote in the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem and disagreements among Palestinian factions over how the elections should be conducted.
The likely delay also raises questions over how countries that provide financial support to the Palestinian Authority will respond, after international pressure played a significant role in prompting Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to announce elections in the first place.
Talks are continuing in Cairo between Fatah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, under Egyptian mediation, in an effort to agree on a new date and establish a framework for the factions’ participation in the Palestinian political system.
Jibril Rajoub, secretary-general of Fatah’s Central Committee, told the Egyptian Al-Sharq television channel that the goal of the 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.”
Rajoub said setting a new election date would be one of the outcomes of any broader national agreement.
Mohammed al-Hindi, deputy secretary-general of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, told the Associated Press that following the Cairo meetings, the factions had “reached understandings regarding the renewal of Palestinian national dialogue and agreed to postpone the upcoming Palestinian elections.”
Hamas, meanwhile, has said it is prepared to participate in elections and is even considering running as part of a joint list with independent candidates and professionals.
Basem Naim, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, told the AP that the decision to hold elections on the original timetable had been premature.
Marwan Barghouti
(Photo: Yariv Katz)
“Elections are part of a democratic process, and they must be based on solid internal Palestinian dialogue,” he said. “This is in order to examine how we can move forward in this conflict and manage our internal disagreements, as well as how to present the Palestinians to the world with a united leadership and a united vision.”
The elections, originally set for November 28, are now expected to be rescheduled for a specific date during 2027.
Western officials who spoke with Al-Sharq said the Palestinian Authority was facing significant obstacles, including Israel’s refusal to allow the Palestinian Central Elections Commission to enter the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem to prepare for the vote.
Meanwhile, preparations for electoral lists are continuing within the Palestinian political system. Contacts are underway among figures in Fatah, supporters of Mohammed Dahlan and Hamas, while separate efforts are being made to form a list headed by Marwan Barghouti, who is serving multiple life sentences in Israel for his role in terrorist attacks.
The last elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council were held in 2006, while the last Palestinian presidential election took place in 2005.
When announcing plans to hold the first parliamentary elections in two decades, Abbas’ office in Ramallah said the presidential decree was intended “to consolidate the foundations of democracy and complete the electoral process that began in the State of Palestine.”