Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, hands over the election decree to the head of the Central Election Commission Nasser Hanna, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, on January 15, 2021. (Photo: Thaer Ganaim/APA Images)
Over the past week, the streets in Palestine have been buzzing with talk of something that many Palestinians thought might never happen again: elections.
On January 15th Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced that presidential and parliamentary elections would be held this spring and summer, 15 years after he was first elected for what was supposed to be a four-year term.
According to Abbas’ presidential decree, elections for the long-defunct Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) will take place on May 22, followed by presidential elections on July 31.