The President Approves the Electoral System for the Palestinian National Council for the Year 2026

SadaNews - The Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, President of the State of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas, has approved the electoral system for the Palestinian National Council for the year 2026, following its adoption by the Executive Committee of the Organization.

A statement released by the Palestinian presidency today, Thursday, indicated that the approved electoral system aims to organize the mechanism for electing the Palestinian National Council both at home and in the diaspora, and to enhance democratic participation for Palestinians wherever they are.

It added that members of the National Council will be elected in free and direct general elections, via secret ballot according to the system of full proportional representation (lists), where the Palestinian territories are considered a single electoral district, while each area where Palestinians in the diaspora reside is regarded as an independent electoral district.

The system stipulates that the number of members in the National Council is set at 350, of which 200 members represent the territory of Palestine, and 150 members represent Palestinians abroad and in the diaspora.

The presidency clarified that the electoral system stipulates that the number of seats allocated to represent diaspora districts cannot be reduced or altered for any reason, and that representatives of the Palestinian territories and the diaspora regions will be elected through direct voting, according to the list and full proportional representation system.

It was explained that in cases where elections cannot be conducted in any diaspora regions, members will be chosen through an electoral college or consensus that includes representatives from the Palestinian factions in that area, or through agreement and appointment in accordance with the provisions of the system.

The presidency emphasized that the electoral system organized the relationship between the Palestinian Legislative Council and the Palestinian National Council based on functional integration and institutional coordination, while maintaining the independence of each and its competencies. It also states that elected members of the Legislative Council will be considered members of the National Council during their term of office, and their membership will count towards the seats allocated to represent the Palestinian territories, without increasing the total number of members in the National Council.

It pointed out that in the event of simultaneous elections for both the Legislative Council and the National Council, the seats allocated for the Palestinian territories will automatically be filled by the elected members of the Legislative Council.

The presidency stressed that the adoption of the new electoral system comes as part of the development of the institutional structure of the Palestine Liberation Organization, and the renewal of the legitimacy of its representative institutions, ensuring that Palestinians in the homeland and the diaspora participate in choosing their representatives within a unified and modern electoral framework, and completing the efforts to enhance Palestinian democratic life and expanding popular participation in national decision-making, through periodic and transparent elections that ensure the representation of Palestinians at home and abroad.

The elections for the Palestinian National Council are scheduled to take place on November 1, 2026, marking an important national milestone for renewing the institutions of the Palestine Liberation Organization and cementing the principles of democracy, plurality, and national partnership.