The National Council Election Follow-up Committee Discusses Logistical Arrangements, Election System, and Methods for Implementing Elections to Complete the Democratic Path

SadaNews - The committee for following up on the general elections and the Palestinian National Council held a meeting at the headquarters of the Palestine Liberation Organization to discuss the arrangements for completing the Palestinian democratic path, the mechanisms for implementing the general elections, and the elections of the National Council scheduled for this year 2026. The committee emphasized that these steps come within the framework of fulfilling the commitments made to the Palestinian people, and the obligations of the State of Palestine towards building a political system based on the peaceful transfer of power and political pluralism, commitment to international legitimacy and international law, and implementing the roadmap for completing the democratic path with the participation of all Palestinians, thus fortifying Palestinian legitimacy and enhancing the unity of the Palestinian people in all their locations and segments. During the meeting, the committee discussed several issues on the agenda, foremost among them the proposal approved by His Excellency the President regarding the elections of the Palestinian National Council, and the election system specific to the council that defines the technical and legislative mechanism of the democratic process. The committee also reviewed the preparations and readiness to hold the Palestinian general elections before the end of this year 2026. The committee pointed out that the elections will be conducted to ensure wide national participation and comprehensive democratic representation both in the homeland and in the diaspora, in implementation of the sovereign decree and any amendments that may arise from His Excellency the President and the decisions of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization calling on the Palestinian people in all their locations to elect members of the National Council. It was agreed to conduct the elections of the Palestinian National Council abroad in a coordinated and interconnected framework with the homeland, where the committee reviewed a proposal for distributing council seats in the countries of the diaspora based on the population of Palestinians in those areas, and adopted working according to the principle of "elections where possible, and consensus where necessary," taking into account the political and security peculiarities of the various Palestinian communities abroad and the approval of the host countries. At the conclusion of the meeting, the committee decided to adopt implementation plans for the steps and procedures that will be carried out during the upcoming period towards achieving the elections. The committee affirmed that the committee tasked by the Executive Committee will initiate a comprehensive national dialogue with all political forces both within and outside the organization regarding the roadmap for the election agenda to ensure the participation of all forces in the democratic process. This will include sending delegations to the expatriates and Palestinian gatherings abroad to directly communicate with the communities, aiming to complete the necessary technical and logistical arrangements for the elections of the National Council and enhance the participation of all Palestinians in shaping the political system and renewing its legitimacy.