Mahmoud Abbas amends Palestinian election law

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has issued a decree amending the 2007 General Elections Law. The new decree cancels a previous 2026 law that had increased the number of members in the Palestinian Legislative Council, reverting the council's size to 132 members.

The amendments include several key provisions: the minimum age for candidacy is lowered to 23, and a 1% threshold is maintained for electoral lists to secure seats. To increase female representation, the law mandates that one woman must be among the first three names on any electoral list, with one woman in every subsequent group of three names.

Candidates and lists must recognize the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people and adhere to its political program and international legitimacy resolutions. Additionally, the law prohibits simultaneous candidacy for the presidency and a seat in the Legislative Council.

The Palestinian Central Election Commission confirmed receipt of the decree and noted that technical adjustments were made based on its recommendations. These include clarifying candidacy requirements for the presidency and standardizing procedures between Gaza and Jerusalem. Field voter registration is scheduled to begin on August 15, ahead of the legislative elections planned for November 28.