RAMALLAH, Sunday, December 23, 2018 (WAFA) – Minister of Justice Ali Abu Diak said on Sunday that the interpretive decision issued by the Constitutional Court No. 10/2018 on December 12, 2018 and which it considered the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) dissolved and called on the President to issue a decree calling for holding national elections within six months is in line with the Basic Law.

He said that the PLC has not convened since July 5, 2007, and therefore its continuation in this manner is "a violation of the provisions of the Basic Law and the General Elections Law," and denied people the right to participate in the political life through electing their representatives every four years.

Abu Diak explained that the Constitutional Court, which rules on constitutional issues, had said in its interpretive decision that since the PLC has not convened since 2007 it has therefore lost its status as a legislative branch and as a result lost its status as a Legislative Council.

He said that with regard to the interpretation of article 55 of the Basic Law, the Constitutional Court considered that there were no valid reasons for the members of the Legislative Council whose term has expired to receive any financial benefits or bonuses as of the date of the Court‘s decision.

The Court said that the PLC has not functioned since July 5, 2007 and its term has ended on January 1, 2010 while it was not functioning and it is still not functioning and not in attendance until now, and therefore "the higher interest of the Palestinian people and the interest of the county demands the dissolution of the Legislative Council elected on January 1, 2006, and therefore it is considered dissolved as of this ruling."

The Court also called on "the president of the State of Palestine to call for holding of legislative elections within six months from the date of publication of this ruling in the Official Gazette."

M.K.