Despite the concerns of some Palestinian political parties, civil society organizations, and popular movements regarding the decision-making process for holding legislative elections—given that it is being conducted without genuine dialogue with various Palestinian factions and without addressing how to guarantee that the elections, which everyone is demanding, will be free, fair, and independent of Israeli control—the internal Palestinian arena is witnessing the emergence of popular movements and coalitions aimed at forming a unified national front for change.
The first organized political action following the issuance of the presidential decrees concerning the Palestinian elections was an open consultative meeting attended by representatives of national movements and activities, civil society organizations, and prominent national, academic, and community figures. The meeting focused on discussing future Palestinian options.
Although the popular meeting had been planned before the recent presidential decree issued by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas regarding the legislative elections, the meeting held in Ramallah a few days ago explored ways to formulate a comprehensive national vision and form a broad national coalition to participate in the upcoming Palestinian elections.
The founders of the Popular Coalition (comprising approximately 60 figures from various regions and political and social affiliations) consider themselves a national bloc seeking to bring about change in the political system and institutional structure, implement reforms in public policies related to employment, health, education, and institutional development, combat corruption, prosecute corrupt individuals, and recover stolen funds.
The attendees discussed ways to enhance popular participation in the political process, both through candidacy and voting, while emphasizing the importance of reviving the Palestinian national project based on establishing an independent and democratic Palestinian state that meets the needs of its citizens. The meeting concluded with the formation of a follow-up committee to continue consultations with various Palestinian groups and forces.
Political activist Omar Assaf stated that the various factions face two real challenges in the upcoming legislative elections, and he did not rule out engaging with Fatah as a Palestinian political faction.
He told Al-Quds Al-Arabi, “We have two fundamental issues. One is internal, where we have an unequivocal stance on the exclusionary condition under which the local elections were held. While we have no problem with the phrase ‘recognizing the Palestine Liberation Organization as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people,’ the clause that includes the necessity of ‘recognizing the PLO’s political and national program and the resolutions of international legitimacy’ is a condition not used in any elections worldwide.” Assaf, coordinator of the “14 Million” Popular Conference, emphasized that there is an intention to appeal to the Constitutional Court, considering that the condition, if included in the anticipated presidential decree setting the election date, is unconstitutional and illegal.
As for the external issue, according to activist Assaf, it stems from the fact that Palestinians are completely fed up with the appointment process, which has been in place for 60 years and is part of the Palestinian power-sharing system entrenched by the PLO.
He added: “The text of the legal amendment and the mechanism for selecting members of the Legislative Council abroad are unclear and ambiguous. It presents many options without providing a definitive solution. For example, if elections cannot be held abroad, it proposes forming what is known as an ‘electoral college’ without a clear definition of what that means. This leaves open the possibility of appointment, which we reject and oppose.”
Assaf added that there is a high probability of holding official elections in the areas where Palestinians reside. What is required is to create a voter registry in their current locations, which is easier than some might think.
Regarding communication with Fatah, given that the coalition includes members of the movement in their personal capacities, Assaf emphasized that the decision is not his alone. He stated that this matter will be discussed within the group and stressed that “there will be no problem despite all the issues that marred the movement’s eighth conference.” He believes there is a possibility of opening a line of communication with Fatah, separate from the Palestinian Authority, with which he communicates as a Palestinian national force, not a popular movement.
It is worth noting that Palestinian PresidentMahmoud Abbas issued a decree on June 14th amending the General Elections Law. The amendments included increasing the number of members of the Legislative Council from 132 to 200, lowering the minimum age for candidacy from 28 to 23, reducing the threshold for representation from 2% to 1%, and stipulating that at least one woman must be among every three candidates on electoral lists. The decree also raised the minimum number of candidates on each electoral list to 20, up from 16. Official sources described these changes as aimed at strengthening political participation and expanding the base of democratic representation.
This decision comes after years of the Legislative Council being inactive, having been dissolved by presidential decree in 2018. The last Palestinian legislative elections were held in 2006, before the Council ceased functioning following the Palestinian division in 2007.
A press release issued after the meeting emphasized four key principles. The first pillar emphasized the Palestinian people's right to resist the occupation and defend their inalienable national rights, safeguarding their legitimate struggle, based on the unity of the Palestinian people and their cause, and achieving their national goals of liberation, the return of refugees to their homes, and the realization of national independence.
The second pillar focused on the importance of unifying national and popular efforts to confront the ongoing aggression against the Gaza Strip, settlement activity, displacement, and attacks in the West Bank and Jerusalem, and to capitalize on the growing global popular solidarity movement with the Palestinian people and their cause.
The third pillar affirmed the Palestinian people's right to choose their representatives, leaders, and national institutions through free and fair democratic elections, thereby strengthening national partnership and putting an end to policies of unilateralism, exclusion, and domination of national decision-making.
The fourth pillar addressed the need to rebuild the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the overarching national framework and the national liberation movement of the Palestinian people, on democratic and participatory foundations, ensuring the participation of Palestinians in the homeland and the diaspora in electing its institutions, foremost among them the Palestinian National Council.
The Palestinian political scene awaits a decree from the Palestinian president calling for elections to the Legislative Council, to be held concurrently with elections for the Palestinian National Council. This follows his earlier call for Palestinians at home and abroad to participate in the National Council elections scheduled for November 1, 2026. Those elected to the Legislative Council will then become ex-officio members of the National Council, representing the Palestinian people. In a related development, five Palestinian factions had previously affirmed in a joint statement that any steps related to rebuilding and developing national institutions—including the draft provisional constitution for the State of Palestine, the law on political parties, the electoral system for the Palestinian National Council, and the issuance of related decrees—must be based on a comprehensive national consensus and inclusive dialogue.The five factions—Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and the Palestinian National Initiative—stated that “our Palestinian people need to develop their national institutions and strengthen their resilience in confronting the Zionist colonial project, in accordance with their national priorities.”
In their statement, the factions emphasized the danger of any attempts to restructure the Palestinian political system in response to external pressures or dictates. They stressed that any process of rebuilding or reactivating national institutions, including holding elections, must be based on a genuine national partnership encompassing all Palestinian forces and components, and must enjoy national consensus that strengthens its necessary political and national legitimacy.
The statement added that the true path to restoring national unity, renewing the legitimacy of national institutions, and rebuilding them begins with a call for a comprehensive national dialogue that includes all Palestinian forces and factions. This dialogue must be based on the principles of partnership, democracy, and national consensus, leading to binding outcomes for all, preventing any form of unilateralism or exclusion, and serving the goals of our people in national liberation.
The statement called on President Mahmoud Abbas to urgently convene a meeting of the secretaries-general of the Palestinian factions, "considering it a national imperative that cannot be postponed, with the aim of launching a comprehensive national dialogue that establishes a genuine political partnership, develops a unified national and resistance strategy to confront current challenges, and addresses major national issues." The five factions affirmed in their statement that “the historic moment our national cause is experiencing demands the highest levels of responsibility, unity, and solidarity. The true hope for confronting the war of extermination and liquidation plans lies in consolidating national unity and strengthening the overarching national institution within the framework of the Palestine Liberation Organization, based on comprehensive national partnership.”
The factions called for “an urgent national response to convene a comprehensive national meeting that will lead to the formulation of a unified national strategy and pave the way for holding comprehensive democratic elections that will rebuild our national institutions on democratic and participatory foundations. This will protect the resistance project, bolster the steadfastness of our people, and safeguard national unity at this critical juncture.”
For his part, political analyst Hani al-Masri warned that legislative elections, if not free, fair, and with respected results, cannot be part of the solution.
He stressed that “presidential and legislative elections must be held on the same day to reduce costs and prevent manipulation by not holding presidential elections if the legislative results are not to the liking of the official leadership.”
Al-Masri, who is the Director General of the Palestinian Center for Policy Research and Strategic Studies (Masarat), believes that there must be a national consensus on the laws and procedures that will govern the electoral process, the elimination of any political restrictions on candidacy, on how to prevent or limit the influence of the occupying state on the elections, on how to conduct the elections in Jerusalem, and on the importance of reviving the Palestine Liberation Organization by including various factions and figures from different backgrounds and groups as the supreme authority and the sole legitimate representative.
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