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RAMALLAH: Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas has announced that presidential elections will be held in early 2027 and legislative elections in November this year, without saying if he would run.
Abbas, 90, won the last Palestinian presidential election in 2005 with a mandate of four years, meaning his term should have expired in 2009.
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.
“President Mahmoud Abbas announced that presidential elections will be held in early 2027,” the presidency said in a statement. The leader also issued a decree introducing changes to electoral procedures.
In a separate statement, Abbas emphasised he was “fully prepared to organise the Palestinian National Council elections scheduled for November, which include the general legislative elections in the homeland and elections abroad”.
The Palestinian National Council (PNC) is the parliament of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), which has members from the Palestinian territories and abroad.
The last legislative elections in the Palestinian territories were held in 2006, when Hamas won, defeating Abbas’ Fatah party, which had previously dominated Palestinian politics.
As a result, the Palestinian Legislative Council, which is the parliament of Abbas’ Palestinian Authority, has not met since 2007. Holding elections is part of the reforms demanded by the international community, which supports the Palestinian Authority financially..
Published in Dawn, June 16th, 2026
