Palestinian elections: Towards a national plan that does not wait for conditions to mature, but rather creates them

author

Walid Al-Awad

The decision to postpone the Palestinian elections sparked a state of controversy in political, national and popular circles, the repercussions of which extended to international positions, most notably the French position, which re-highlighted the importance of renewing Palestinian legitimacy through the democratic process. In light of this, talk has begun about the possibility of moving forward the date of holding elections if appropriate conditions exist, which raises a fundamental question: Do we wait for conditions to mature, or do we take the initiative to create them through a clear national plan?

There is no doubt that the circumstances that our people are going through, especially in the Gaza Strip, which was subjected to a devastating war of extermination, and the separation and guardianship schemes it faces, in addition to the continued aggression, settlement, and annexation in the West Bank and Jerusalem, make holding elections a complex task. However, these complications should not turn into a justification for open postponement, but rather into an incentive to formulate an integrated political plan, based on three interconnected tracks.

First: The Palestinian path: restoring unity and providing a democratic environment

Creating Palestinian conditions begins with launching a comprehensive national dialogue, based on a real political review, under the auspices of the Palestine Liberation Organization, and leading to agreement on a national vision and a binding program of action that ends division, unifies institutions, and ensures the unity of political and legal jurisdiction over the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including Jerusalem.

This requires providing public freedoms, removing restrictions on political action, addressing the catastrophic humanitarian and living conditions in Gaza, and seriously embarking on recovery and reconstruction, providing the minimum conditions for free democratic participation.

There should also be agreement on the nature and objectives of the elections, as they are a stage for moving from the transitional authority stage to the state stage, completing the building of the institutions of the State of Palestine, and strengthening the position of the Palestine Liberation Organization as the sole legitimate representative of our people.

Second: The Arab path: moving from support to effective partnership

The Arab countries, led by Egypt and Jordan, along with countries with influential international relations, have political and diplomatic capabilities that can be used to support the holding of elections.

What is required is the crystallization of a coordinated Arab movement, based on the decisions of the Arab summits, and aims to provide the necessary guarantees to hold elections in all Palestinian territories, protect the unity of political, legal and administrative jurisdiction of the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Jerusalem, and reject any arrangements that establish separation or guardianship.

The issue of Jerusalem's participation must also be made a central focus of the Arab action, and pressure must be put on Israel to stop its measures that obstruct the electoral process, in addition to mobilizing support to provide the requirements for recovery and reconstruction in the Gaza Strip.

Third: The international path: transforming recognition of the state into practical commitments

Today, the Palestinian people possess important elements of political and legal power, most notably the expansion of international recognition of the State of Palestine, and the growing positions rejecting occupation, displacement, settlement, and annexation, as well as international legitimacy resolutions.

These elements can be employed through a Palestinian diplomatic initiative targeting France, the European countries that recognize Palestine, the United Nations, and countries influencing international resolutions, with the aim of building a pressing international position that guarantees the right of the Palestinian people to hold free and comprehensive elections.

In this context, the countries that demand the Palestinians to renew their legitimacy through elections, led by France, are in turn required to move from political advocacy to practical action, and to contribute to removing the obstacles imposed by the occupation to holding them. It is not right for the Palestinians to be asked to resort to ballot boxes, while the occupation confronts them with lead boxes to prevent them from reaching them freely and safely, without this being matched by serious international pressure to oblige Israel to respect their right to choose their representatives, especially in Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.

This initiative must include demands for international guarantees for holding elections in Jerusalem, freedom of movement of candidates and voters, securing the electoral process in the Gaza Strip, sending an international monitoring mission, and rejecting any Israeli interference or external conditions that affect the right of the Palestinians to choose their representatives.

From controversy over postponement to a plan to end it

The success of these paths requires agreeing on a national mechanism to follow up on their implementation, setting an announced timetable, defining responsibilities, and measuring the progress achieved, in a way that allows the election date to be brought forward whenever the basic conditions for holding it are met, or to adhere to its specified date at the very least.

What is required today is not the continuation of the debate between supporters of postponement and those opposed to it, nor is it sufficient to exchange responsibilities, but rather to transform this controversy into an opportunity for a serious national review and the formulation of an implementable plan that makes holding elections a national entitlement and not a hostage of political circumstances or calculations.

The appropriate conditions for elections do not fall from the sky, nor are they granted voluntarily by the occupation, but rather are created by the unified national will, supported by Arab positions, and protected by international guarantees. Here lies the real test of the seriousness of talking about adhering to the election date or bringing it forward. 10-13-2026