Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to announce later this month that Palestinian legislative elections will be held on 28 November, Samer Sinijlawi, head of the Palestinian political movement New Path (Masar Jadid), announced in a statement.
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Sinijlawi described the vote as an opportunity for new political leadership to emerge “after years of political stagnation.”
The expected announcement follows sustained pressure from advocates of Palestinian democracy and would mark the first legislative elections in more than two decades, Sinijlawi added.
In mid-June, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas issued a decree calling for presidential elections in early 2027 and for legislative elections in November of this year, official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported, without saying whether he would run.
Abbas, 90, won the last Palestinian presidential election in 2005 with a four-year mandate, meaning his term should have expired in 2009.
No presidential election held since Abbas' ascension
However, his term was extended, and no presidential election has been held since, with Abbas ruling by presidential decrees, courting criticism at home and abroad.
Israelis are scheduled to elect a new government no later than October 20, with Palestinian legislative elections expected soon after.
"For the first time in more than two decades, there is a genuine opportunity for a new Palestinian leadership to emerge through the ballot box," Sinijlawi said.
He predicted that Fatah would receive about 20% of the vote, while Islamist parties would secure a similar share. He said the remaining votes would likely be divided among two or three new political parties, including New Path (Masar Jadid), which he described as moderate, democratic, reform-oriented national alternatives.
He also argued that obstacles remain before the vote can be conducted on equal terms.
PA does not permit equal footing for all political movements
The Palestinian Authority has not adopted a Political Parties Law that would guarantee equal conditions for all political movements. He also accused the Palestinian security services of interfering with the activities of emerging political groups.
"In recent days, several leaders of New Path in the West Bank were summoned for questioning by the Palestinian General Intelligence Service in what we view as attempts to intimidate and harass our movement," he said.
Sinijlawi called for international attention to the developments and support for what he described as the Palestinian people's right to free, fair, and competitive elections.
"A new Palestinian leadership with democratic legitimacy would serve the interests of both Palestinians and Israelis," he said.
Sinijlawi concluded by saying the elections could determine the future direction of Palestinian politics.
"Change is now within reach. We stand before two clear alternatives: either elections that open the door to a new era of moderation, partnership, and peace, or the continuation of the current reality, which will almost certainly produce another generation of wars and conflict."