Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has signed a decree-law establishing new electoral rules and reaffirming plans for presidential elections in 2027, laying the groundwork for what would be the first Palestinian presidential vote in more than two decades.
The decree expands the Palestinian Legislative Council from 132 to 200 seats and lowers the electoral threshold for representation to 1%. It also raises the minimum number of candidates required on electoral lists from 16 to 20, requires that at least one-third of candidates be women, and lowers the minimum age for parliamentary candidates from 28 to 23.
Legislative elections remain scheduled for November 1, 2026, while presidential elections are planned for 2027. The last Palestinian presidential election was held in 2005, when Abbas was elected to a four-year term. No presidential vote has been held since.
The reforms, reported by Europa Press, come amid growing pressure on the Palestinian Authority from Western and Arab governments to renew its political institutions and address concerns over governance, corruption and declining public legitimacy. Abbas reiterated a commitment to reforms and elections during Fatah's Eighth General Conference in Ramallah in May, where he was re-elected as leader of the movement.
The conference was held as the Palestinian national movement faces mounting challenges stemming from the war in Gaza, continued tensions in the West Bank and uncertainty surrounding the future leadership of both Fatah and the Palestinian Authority.
Senior Fatah officials described the gathering as part of a broader effort to "put the Palestinian house in order" and preserve the role of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the representative of the Palestinian people.
The decree also follows separate electoral reforms announced in June concerning the Palestinian National Council, the parliament of the PLO. Under those plans, members of the council would be elected through direct public voting for the first time since its creation in 1964.
The proposal envisions 200 seats elected in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza, alongside 150 seats representing Palestinian refugees and diaspora communities abroad.
Palestinian officials say the changes are intended to strengthen the legitimacy of Palestinian institutions and broaden political participation. Previous efforts to hold elections have stalled, most notably in 2021, when Abbas postponed planned parliamentary and presidential votes after Israel refused to allow voting in East Jerusalem.
