Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday issued amendments to the Palestinian General Elections Law, increasing the number of seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council, lowering the electoral threshold, and expanding the participation of women and young people in the electoral process.
According to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA, the amendments increase the number of Legislative Council members to 200 and reduce the electoral threshold required to win seats to 1 per cent. The minimum number of candidates on an electoral list has also been raised from 16 to 20.
The amended law strengthens women’s representation by requiring at least one woman among every three candidates on an electoral list.
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It also lowers the minimum age for candidates running in Legislative Council elections from 28 to 23, allowing broader participation by young people in political life.
Under the decree-law, the Palestinian president will issue a decree calling for Legislative Council elections to be held simultaneously with elections for the Palestinian National Council.
Abbas had previously issued a decree calling on Palestinians inside and outside the Palestinian territories to take part in Palestinian National Council elections scheduled for 1 November 2026. Those elected to the Legislative Council will automatically become members of the National Council.
The Palestinian president has also previously announced his intention to hold presidential elections during 2027.
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