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Palestinian factions discuss postponing first legislative elections in 20 years

Palestinian factions are discussing delaying the legislative elections Mahmoud Abbas set for 28 November. An Islamic Jihad official says a postponement is agreed, while Fatah has not confirmed a final decision.

2 outlets · 0L · 1C · 1R First reported Account updated
Image: Arab News
Image: The National

1 / 2

The story, neutrally told

Mixed · 2Palestinian factions are discussing postponing the legislative elections planned for November, officials said on Thursday 8 October. Right · 1Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas set 28 November as the date for parliamentary elections in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. They would be the first Palestinian polls in 20 years if held on schedule. Right · 1Mohammad Al-Hindi, deputy secretary-general of Islamic Jihad, said in a statement to the Associated Press that after meeting in Cairo the factions had reached understandings on resuming national dialogue and "agreed to postpone the upcoming Palestinian elections". He said the Fatah delegation would return to Ramallah to finalise consultations.

Right · 1Fatah spokesperson Abdel Fattah Dolah stopped short of confirming a final decision. He said the party wants elections but is in dialogue with the other factions on timing, given calls for postponement and "the difficult circumstances on the ground". He called the Cairo discussions "very positive", and the possible delay is to be discussed by the PLO executive committee. Right · 1Hamas politburo member Basem Naim said the scheduled elections were premature and that Hamas would support a postponement if it allowed a Palestinian-Palestinian dialogue to take place. Centre · 1Sources told The National that discussions on postponing the vote are continuing, with a decision expected in the coming days. One source said the terms of any postponement would be noteworthy given continued EU pressure for the vote to be held.

Mixed · 2Obstacles include unresolved logistics for voting in Gaza and east Jerusalem, and leading factions had not registered electoral slates with the candidate deadline less than a week away. Election commission head Jamil Al Khalidi said this week that preparations were continuing despite the hurdles, with alternatives to ballot boxes and voting ink being sourced because Israel blocks their entry into Gaza. Mixed · 2The last Palestinian Legislative Council election was in 2006 and was won by Hamas, which led to a rift with Fatah. Abbas dissolved the parliament in 2018 and called off votes in 2021, citing Israel's refusal to allow voting in east Jerusalem. Mixed · 2Abbas, 90, faces pressure from Palestinians, the region and the West for reforms. The National reports he promised that 2026 would be the year for Palestinian democracy after EU threats to cut funding, and AP notes that failing to hold the vote could strain relations with donors.

Mixed · 2AP reports that an unlikely alliance of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and a bloc led by exiled former Fatah security chief Mohammed Dahlan had emerged ahead of the vote, appearing to take aim at Abbas. The National cites an August poll by the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research in which 44 per cent of 1,270 respondents did not believe the elections would take place as scheduled.

Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.

Left0 outlets

No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.

Centre1 outlet

Framing
The National leads with anonymous sources saying the elections are likely to be postponed, and puts the story in the context of Abbas's long rule and EU pressure for reform.
Emphasis
Abbas's overstayed term, rule by decree, the succession concern around his son Yasser, EU funding pressure and public scepticism shown in polling.
Leaves out or plays down
Does not carry the on-record statements from Islamic Jihad, Fatah and Hamas officials reported by AP, or the Dahlan alliance.
Charged language
“overstayed his term”“widely regarded as corrupt and ineffective”“shortsighted”
For example
“Mr Abbas, 90, and his administration are widely regarded as corrupt and ineffective.” — The National
“has overstayed his term by 17 years and now rules by decree.” — The National

Right1 outlet

Framing
Arab News runs AP copy that leads with the factions' Cairo talks and an Islamic Jihad official's claim that a delay was agreed, with Fatah's more cautious response. This is the agency's wording, not the outlet's own framing.
Emphasis
On-record statements from Islamic Jihad, Fatah and Hamas, the Dahlan-Hamas alliance, and the Palestinian Authority's legitimacy crisis.
Leaves out or plays down
Does not include the EU funding threat or the polling on public expectations that The National reports.
Charged language
“unlikely alliance”“terrorist groups”
For example
“Palestinian factions are discussing postponing legislative elections that had been planned for November, officials said Thursday.” — Arab News
“Both are considered terrorist groups by the US and other Western countries” — Arab News