Australia, Canada, France and UK urge Abbas to reconsider postponement of Palestinian elections

The foreign ministers of Australia, Canada, France and the United Kingdom have expressed deep regret over Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s decision to postpone presidential and legislative elections until September 2027, urging the Palestinian Authority to reverse the decision and organize elections without further delay.

In a joint statement issued on Tuesday, the ministers noted that nearly two decades had passed since the last Palestinian Legislative Council elections and five years since the postponement of elections scheduled for 2021.

They said an entire generation of Palestinians had reached adulthood without an opportunity to elect their political representatives.

The ministers described the latest postponement as a major disappointment that further denied Palestinians the exercise of their electoral rights and risked undermining public confidence in democratic institutions.

They acknowledged the significant challenges involved in organizing elections that meet international standards and ensure the participation of all eligible Palestinian voters.

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The statement also commended the Palestinian Central Elections Commission for its efforts to establish practical arrangements to address those obstacles and facilitate voter participation.

The ministers emphasised that credible elections were an essential component of the Palestinian Authority’s reform commitments, including democratic renewal and accountable governance, as outlined in the 2025 New York Declaration.

They said strengthening Palestinian governance was necessary to establish the institutional foundations for implementing the two-state solution, which they described as the only viable path to lasting peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians.

“As staunch supporters of the Palestinian right to self-determination, we call on the Palestinian Authority to reconsider the decision to postpone elections and to take the necessary steps to hold legislative and presidential elections without further delay,” the ministers said.

The four countries reaffirmed their willingness to support efforts to organise the elections and called on Israel to refrain from measures that could obstruct the process, including interference with arrangements intended to ensure the participation of all eligible Palestinians.

The statement concluded by reiterating the four governments’ opposition to any role for Hamas in the future governance of Palestine.

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