RAMALLAH — Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority, issued decrees in mid-June 2026 calling for Palestinian legislative elections in November 2026 and presidential elections in early 2027. These decrees follow a June 3, 2026 meeting in Ramallah where Abbas led the newly elected Fatah Central Committee.

Samer Sinijlawi, head of the Palestinian political movement New Path (Masar Jadid), stated that Abbas is expected to announce on July 2, 2026, that legislative elections will be held on November 28, 2026. Sinijlawi characterized New Path as a moderate, democratic, and reform-oriented national alternative. He predicted that Fatah would receive approximately 20% of the vote in the upcoming legislative elections, with Islamist parties securing about 20%.

The remaining votes, Sinijlawi stated, would likely be divided among two or three new political parties. He called for international attention and support for what he described as the Palestinian people's right to free, fair, and competitive elections. Sinijlawi also accused the Palestinian security services of interfering with the activities of emerging political groups.

Abbas, 90, won the last Palestinian presidential election in 2005. That election carried a four-year mandate for the presidential term. His term was extended beyond its 2009 expiration date, and no presidential election has occurred since then. The Palestinian Authority has not adopted a Political Parties Law. Abbas has governed primarily through presidential decrees.

Why It Matters

The call for elections by President Mahmoud Abbas marks a development in Palestinian governance after an extended period without national polls. The 2005 election that brought Abbas to power was the last presidential election, and his term was subsequently extended. The absence of a Political Parties Law and governance through presidential decrees have been part of the political landscape for some time. These upcoming elections introduce a potential for a realignment of political power within the Palestinian Authority.