RAMALLAH, June 14, 2026 (WAFA) – President of the State of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday issued a decree-law amending Decree-Law No. (1) of 2007 on General Elections and its amendments, as part of efforts to enhance political participation and broaden democratic representation.
The decree-law increases the number of seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council to 200, lowers the electoral threshold for winning seats to 1%, and raises the minimum number of candidates on each electoral list from 16 to 20.
It also introduces measures to enhance women's representation in electoral lists by requiring the inclusion of at least one woman among every three candidates on a list, ensuring broader representation of women and greater participation in political life and decision-making.
In addition, the decree-law lowers the minimum age for candidacy in Legislative Council elections from 28 to 23, enabling wider youth participation in the democratic process and reinforcing their role in elected institutions.
President Abbas is expected to issue a decree calling for Legislative Council elections to be held concurrently with Palestinian National Council elections.
President Abbas had previously issued a presidential decree calling on Palestinians, both at home and in the diaspora, to participate in Palestinian National Council elections scheduled for November 1, 2026. Under the decree, those elected to the Palestinian Legislative Council shall automatically become representatives of the homeland in the Palestinian National Council.
President Abbas had also announced that presidential elections would be held in 2027.
The President had also earlier approved the electoral system for the Palestinian National Council, following its adoption by the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, in a step aimed at completing the democratic process and enhancing popular participation in the institutions of the Palestine Liberation Organization, the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.
T.R.
