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Abbas Calls for Historic Elections: Palestinians to Vote for First Time in 20 Years
๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ท Croatia /Elections & Politics

Abbas Calls for Historic Elections: Palestinians to Vote for First Time in 20 Years

From Veฤernji List · () Croatian

Translated from Croatian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called for parliamentary elections on November 28, the first in over two decades.
  • The elections will include voters in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.
  • Previous elections in 2006 saw Hamas win a majority, leading to a split with Fatah and the parliament becoming largely paralyzed before its dissolution in 2018.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has decreed November 28 as the date for parliamentary elections, marking the first time in more than two decades that Palestinians will head to the polls. The decree calls for voters in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip to participate in the elections, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA.

The last parliamentary elections were held on January 25, 2006. In that vote, the Islamist organization Hamas secured a majority, winning 74 out of 132 seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council. This outcome intensified the political rift between Hamas and Abbas's Fatah movement, leading to violent clashes a year later when Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip. Consequently, the parliament became largely paralyzed and was eventually dissolved by the Palestinian Constitutional Court at the end of 2018.

Abbas has decreed November 28 as the date for parliamentary elections, marking the first time in more than two decades that Palestinians will head to the polls.

โ€” WAFAReporting on the announcement of the election date.

However, uncertainty remains regarding whether the elections will proceed and under what conditions. Israel considers East Jerusalem part of its capital, which it views as indivisible, and prohibits official Palestinian Authority political activities within the city. The annexation of East Jerusalem is not widely recognized internationally. In the Gaza Strip, devastated by conflict with Israel, Hamas continues to be the dominant political force.

Presidential elections, which have also been postponed for years beyond their scheduled dates, are anticipated in the first quarter of 2027. Abbas, currently 90 years old, won the last presidential election on January 9, 2005. His regular four-year term concluded in 2009, and presidential elections have been postponed or canceled multiple times since then.

In that vote, the Islamist organization Hamas secured a majority, winning 74 out of 132 seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council.

โ€” Article contextRecalling the results of the 2006 Palestinian legislative elections.
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Originally published by Veฤernji List in Croatian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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