Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has decreed that long-overdue Palestinian National Council elections must take place before year-end 2025, amid skepticism over political intent and past postponements.
Ramallah, West Bank – Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas has signed a decree mandating that new elections for the Palestinian National Council (PNC) be held before the close of 2025, according to a report from Xinhua on Saturday.
The announcement follows a resolution passed during a meeting of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee held last Thursday. According to WAFA, the PA’s official news agency, the Executive Committee committed to holding the PNC elections within the current calendar year, with an exact date to be determined by the committee’s chairman in due course.
The forthcoming PNC body will consist of 350 representatives, with two-thirds drawn from territories within the Palestinian homeland, and the remaining third representing Palestinian Arabs in the diaspora.
To oversee preparations, the PLO Executive Committee has been tasked with forming a special preparatory committee, which will handle all logistical aspects of the electoral process.
As the legislative arm of the PLO, the PNC serves a crucial role in representing a broad spectrum of Palestinian society, including political factions, labor unions, civil groups, and national institutions, both within and beyond PA-administered territories.
Despite the formal announcement, many observers remain cautious. No Palestinian national elections have been held since 2006, and several earlier efforts to hold elections have either stalled or been canceled.
The last attempt in 2021 was abruptly shelved by Abbas, who publicly cited Israel’s refusal to permit voting in East Jerusalem. However, critics argue the true motive was political—Abbas’s fear of electoral defeat by Hamas. Notably, Abbas’s presidential term was due to expire in 2009, yet he has continued in office without electoral renewal for over 15 years.
While this decree marks a symbolic shift toward institutional reform, analysts warn that unless backed by genuine political will and transparency, the move could join a long list of unfulfilled electoral promises.
