Hamas rejects possible postponement of Palestinian legislative elections

Hamas has rejected suggestions that upcoming Palestinian Legislative Council elections could be postponed, calling for the vote to be held as scheduled and for arrangements to be made to ensure a free and fair electoral process.

Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said in a statement on Wednesday that the group was concerned by recent remarks from Palestinian Authority officials raising the possibility that the elections might not take place on time.

Qassem called for adherence to the announced electoral timetable and said the necessary political and administrative arrangements should be completed to allow the vote to proceed.

His comments follow remarks by senior Fatah official Jibril Rajoub, who said this week that he did not believe elections scheduled for 28^th November would take place on that date because the necessary political arrangements and consensus had not yet been finalized.

Qassem accused the Palestinian leadership of using the election issue to advance partisan interests, arguing that decisions concerning the Palestinian political system should not remain under the control of a single faction.

He also criticized the prolonged absence of elections for major Palestinian political institutions, pointing to the lack of presidential and legislative elections for many years and calling for broader electoral participation in Palestinian representative bodies.

Qassem urged Palestinian factions to work together to establish guarantees for elections that would encompass the different components of the Palestinian political system.

The dispute comes amid renewed debate over reforming Palestinian institutions and holding elections following years of political division between Fatah and Hamas.

The last Palestinian legislative elections were held in 2006, when Hamas won a majority of seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council. The legislature subsequently ceased functioning effectively following the political split between Hamas and Fatah.

Palestinian legislative and presidential elections were scheduled again in 2021 but were postponed before voting took place. No subsequent general Palestinian election has been held.