Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas issued a decree on Saturday cancelling the legislative elections scheduled for November this year and setting a new date, together with the presidential vote, for September 2027.
The last election for the Palestinian Legislative Council was held in 2006 and won by Hamas, leading to the rift between the group and the ruling Fatah party. Fatah leader and Palestinian Authority President Mr Abbas, who was elected in 2005, has overstayed his term by 17 years and now rules by decree.
The National reported this week that the legislative elections would be postponed, according to sources from the main Palestinian factions.
The presidential vote had been due to take place next year, but the decree announced by Mr Abbas on Saturday sets September 11, 2027 as the date for both votes, according to Palestinian news agency Wafa.
The executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation approved the postponement and in a statement said the delay was due to a lack of security in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank.
Election commission head Jamil Al Khalidi told Palestinian media this week that preparations were being made to hold elections in Gaza and the West Bank despite security, logistical and technical hurdles.
He said alternatives to traditional ballot boxes and voting ink were being sourced, as Israel continues to block their entry into Gaza.
Sources from different factions said the delay was mainly linked to holding a national dialogue in Egypt and ending “Palestinian division” before going to the polls. Attempts to unite the political factions have often failed due to disagreements about the way forward for Palestine.
Systemic problems mean Palestine has lacked a suitable environment for elections for decades. Under an increasingly deadly and aggressive Israeli occupation, state institutions, finances and the political scene have all but collapsed.
High-level meetings and tactical alliances between factions looking to unseat Mr Abbas and his ruling Fatah party have been taking place, causing anxiety in the President's dwindling circle of support.
Mr Abbas has become increasingly unpopular in Palestine. An August opinion poll by the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research surveyed 1,270 people and showed that 79 per cent wanted him to resign.
