Palestinian President Calls for Simultaneous Presidential and Legislative Elections on September 11, 2027

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas issued a presidential decree on Saturday, calling for simultaneous presidential and legislative elections to be held on September 11, 2027. The decision follows a resolution by the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and cancels a previous 2026 decree that had scheduled legislative elections for November 28 of the following year.

According to the Palestinian News and Information Agency (Wafa), the new presidential decree calls on the Palestinian people in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip to participate in free and direct presidential and legislative elections to simultaneously elect the President of the State of Palestine and members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, in accordance with the law.

The decree was issued based on the PLO Executive Committee’s decision and in light of national consultations with Palestinian factions and political forces, which resulted in a national consensus regarding the obstacles imposed by Israeli measures that prevent holding the elections on the previously scheduled date, as well as the necessity of creating suitable political, security, and field conditions to ensure free, fair, and comprehensive elections.

The decision also aims to provide an opportunity for a comprehensive Palestinian national dialogue aimed at strengthening national unity, territorial integrity, and the Palestinian political system, addressing issues and challenges facing the electoral process, and providing the prerequisites for its success. This ensures the participation of all members of the Palestinian people in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip, and safeguards their political and constitutional rights.

The adjustment of the previous date for legislative elections and the setting of a new date for simultaneous presidential and legislative elections come amid ongoing Israeli occupation forces’ attacks, settlement expansion, settler violence, and continuous Israeli incursions in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, along with restrictions on freedom of movement and the continued withholding of Palestinian clearance funds. These factors impose security, economic, and administrative challenges on preparing for and conducting the elections on the original schedule.

Regarding the Gaza Strip, the decision comes amid ongoing exceptional security and humanitarian conditions, the failure to implement arrangements for deploying international stabilization forces and police forces in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions, the lack of commencement of reconstruction efforts, and the incomplete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Strip. These circumstances create security, field, and logistical obstacles that hinder the preparation of necessary conditions for holding elections.

Additionally, Israeli restrictions on the access of Central Elections Commission staff and international observers to the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem pose difficulties in completing electoral preparations and procedures, and in ensuring the freedom of operation for authorities responsible for overseeing and monitoring elections, in accordance with legal and democratic standards.

These combined conditions affect the possibility of holding free, fair, and comprehensive elections on the previously scheduled date, which would ensure the safety of citizens and their ability to exercise their electoral rights freely and securely, and guarantee the participation of Palestinians in all governorates of the homeland, including East Jerusalem, as an integral part of the Palestinian electoral process.

The determination of the new date for presidential and legislative elections reaffirms the commitment to holding elections as a national and constitutional obligation, embodies the Palestinian people’s right to freely and democratically choose their representatives, and seeks to renew the democratic legitimacy of Palestinian institutions and strengthen the unity of the Palestinian political system.

Under the decree, the Central Elections Commission is tasked with taking the necessary measures to prepare for, organize, and oversee the presidential and legislative elections, in accordance with the provisions of the current General Elections Law, and in a manner that ensures they are conducted freely, fairly, transparently, and comprehensively across all Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.