Palestinians in Britain issue statement on National Council elections

As the Palestinian National Council prepares to be reconstituted, members of the Palestinian community gathered in London to affirm their people’s right to choose their representatives. They reiterated that the Palestinian National Council is an inclusive national body representing all Palestinians, both in Palestine and across the diaspora.

A press statement from the gathering affirmed the following:

First: Electing the Palestinian people’s representatives to the Palestinian National Council is a fundamental national and democratic right that must neither be denied nor circumvented.

Second: We reject appointments as a substitute for elections. Legitimate representation derives from the will of the Palestinian people, expressed through free, fair and direct elections that ensure the participation of Palestinians in Palestine and the diaspora.

Third: In accordance with the Palestine Liberation Organisation’s Basic Law and the 2026 Palestinian National Council Electoral Regulations, we call for the prescribed steps and procedures to be implemented, including the mechanisms and safeguards that enable Palestinians in the diaspora to stand as candidates and vote directly. Accurate and transparent electoral registers must be prepared to ensure the participation of all eligible voters without discrimination or exclusion.

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We also call for the establishment of independent specialist committees bringing together scientific, technical and legal expertise to develop a clear plan for electronic voting. This must safeguard the integrity of the electoral process and the secrecy and privacy of voters’ ballots, while allowing independent scrutiny and verification of the results.

Fourth: We call on all political forces, institutions and public figures to respect the will of the people and work together to hold genuinely democratic elections. These must restore national legitimacy through participation and representation, free from appointments and factional quotas.

Fifth: Those gathered affirm their support for every grassroots effort to protect Palestinians’ right to elect their representatives and to secure free, fair and inclusive elections to the Palestinian National Council in Palestine and across the diaspora.

Amid the genocide in the Gaza Strip, ethnic cleansing in the occupied West Bank and attempts to erase the Palestinian cause, holding elections is a national duty. It is essential to uniting the Palestinian people, rebuilding their institutions and establishing a unified national leadership capable of defending our people’s rights and confronting these efforts.

Our vote is our right. Electing our representatives is our responsibility. We reject appointments.

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