PLO Advances Palestinian National Council Overhaul as November Elections Near

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) is proceeding with plans to reorganize its legislative body, the Palestinian National Council (PNC), ahead of Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) elections scheduled for November 28, according to Palestinian reports.

Approved in June following an announcement by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas last year, the reforms will expand the use of elections to choose PNC members, partially replacing the previous system of factional quotas, designated allocations, and special appointments.

The revised structure will reduce the council’s membership by more than half, from 747 to 350. The new composition will include 132 PLC members representing the Palestinian territories, 150 representatives of the Palestinian diaspora, and 67 members chosen by consensus to represent PLO factions.

Last week, Palestinians in Kuwait elected Hisham Ibrahim and Saleh Qannam as the first two PNC representatives selected from outside the Palestinian territories. Soon afterward, Dr. Tamer Kadash was elected to represent the Palestinian community in Bahrain, while Muhannad Al-Shorbaji Al-Agha and Imad Al-Bal‘awi were chosen to represent Palestinians in Qatar.

Arab reports indicate that similar elections are being organized in Lebanon and Syria through an electoral college system. According to Independent Arabia, Palestinian communities in Europe, the United States, and South America have established preparatory committees to reach consensus on selecting future PNC representatives. The report states that one seat will be allocated for every 35,000 Palestinians.

Palestinians living in Jordan are not currently scheduled to participate in direct PNC elections.

Abbas Presents Reform as Democratic Progress Amid Opposition

Although Abbas has promoted the restructuring as a step forward for Palestinian democracy, officials from other political factions have criticized the creation of a council that excludes Hamas.

Ramzi Rabah, a member of the PLO Executive Committee representing the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), told Independent Arabia that the council “can be formed through consensus among everyone following a national dialogue that opens the door to everyone joining, including Hamas, which does not require postponing [the elections] for two years. It can happen within a month.”

Rabah urged Abbas to bring the factions’ secretaries-general together for “an expanded meeting to establish mechanisms for forming the National Council and mechanisms for holding elections in an atmosphere of understanding.”

The International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights (ICSPR) also issued a statement last week expressing concern that the new process permits different electoral arrangements, “including the use of electoral colleges or selection mechanisms that do not necessarily allow all Palestinians within those communities to participate.”

The organization further condemned the exclusion of “Palestinian political forces and figures.”

Despite these objections, Hamas has indicated that it wants to participate in the PLC and PNC elections as part of a broader national coalition rather than contesting the vote under its own name.

However, candidates must recognize the PLO as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people and endorse its political and national program, along with relevant international legitimacy resolutions. This requirement has also drawn criticism of the restructured electoral system.

Information published by the Amit Terrorism and Intelligence Research Institute indicates that Hamas officials have already been actively exploring potential political alliances.

Hamas Seeks Wider Participation in Palestinian Elections

Earlier this month, Husam Badran, a member of the Hamas political bureau and head of its national relations office, held a telephone conversation with Salem Atallah, secretary-general of the Palestinian Mujahideen Movement, concerning the elections. Badran also spoke with Hassan Mahmoud Abu Halima, secretary-general of the Palestinian al-Ahrar Movement, about expanding the participation of Palestinian “organizations, forces and figures” and opposing the appointment of representatives.

In comments to Independent Arabia, Badran criticized the continuation of “the same approach of exclusivity and disregarding the right of the Palestinian people to choose their representatives is a national crime and a confiscation of the right of the Palestinian communities present in every country.”

Amid the absence of an agreement among the factions, members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) have reportedly called on Abbas to delay the PLC elections. Some experts and Palestinian officials believe Abbas may consider postponement over concerns that the vote could strengthen Hamas’s influence in the West Bank.

Last Monday, the PFLP submitted a proposal titled the “National Rescue Plan.” The initiative calls for postponing the November 28 elections, initiating comprehensive national dialogue, establishing a consensus government, rebuilding the PLO, and subsequently holding presidential, legislative, and National Council elections simultaneously.