Preparations are underway in Gaza for the Palestinian Legislative Council elections scheduled to be held on November 28, despite the ongoing Israeli attacks, according to authorities in Gaza.
Around 1.25 million Palestinians are eligible to vote in this year’s election, with authorities having identified 110 polling centres to be established across Gaza.
Jameel Al-Khalidi, the Gaza regional director of the Palestinian Central Elections Commission, said technical and logistical preparations for the election are continuing. However, he identified security as the biggest challenge facing the electoral process.
Al-Khalidi called on the international community to help ensure a safe environment for voters, candidates, election workers, observers and representatives to participate in the elections. He also said the commission hopes international observers will be able to monitor the election.
With Gaza still heavily affected by the ongoing war, authorities face difficulties in determining locations where polling centres can safely operate. The Elections Commission is working with the Ministry of Education to identify schools that remain suitable for use as polling stations.
Al-Khalidi said the commission has also prepared contingency plans in case ballot boxes, papers and other election materials cannot be transported into Gaza. He added that different options are being considered to ensure the election can proceed in line with international standards.
The nomination period for candidates opened on September 26. Within the first hour, candidate lists had already been submitted by five political parties and independent candidates. The nomination period will remain open until October 7, while campaigning is scheduled to begin on November 6.
Despite years of difficulties and continuing to live amid destruction and loss, Al-Khalidi said Palestinians remain highly interested in participating in the vote. He said there would be no reason to postpone the election as long as security conditions allow it to proceed according to schedule.
The upcoming election will be the first election for the Palestinian Legislative Council since 2006. It will also be the third election since the Palestinian Legislative Council was established.
The Council’s work was suspended in 2007, and it was formally dissolved in 2018.
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