The Central Elections Commission (CEC) conducted today, Monday, a meeting with the Elections Ad Hoc Sector Working Group (SWG) comprised of representatives of donor countries and partner international organizations. The meeting aimed at discussing the latest developments related to the progress of the electoral process in terms of preparations for the 2026 Local Elections as well as the potential operational, logistical and financial challenges in the next stages.
The meeting was held at the CEC’s HQ in Al-Bireh, chaired by the CEC’s Chairman, Dr. Rami Hamdallah, and the Deputy Representative of the European Union to Palestine, James Rizzo.
In his opening Remarks, Dr. Rami Hamdallah welcomed the friend and partner states supporting the CEC’s work, valuing the pivotal role they play in supporting the efforts aiming at the success of the electoral process. Moreover, Dr. Hamdallah emphasized the CEC’s keenness to continue coordinating and communicating in a constructive manner with international partners in a way that guarantees conducting the elections according to the highest technical and professional standards.
Dr. Hamdallah indicated that the meeting aims at keeping international partners informed of the latest developments related to the progress of the electoral process, sharing the key challenges and needs in relation to upcoming stages, especially in light of the current political, economic and security conditions.
CEC’s Chairman presented the progress of the electoral process, pointing out that the CEC has concluded the voter registration stage with results, described as excellent, where number of registered voters reached approximately one and a half million voters in the West Bank, constituting approximately 87% of eligible registrants among the citizens.
Dr. Hamdallah further addressed the controversy around the Article dictating the commitment to the PLO’s program and international obligations as a prerequisite for nomination, clarifying that the CEC has addressed H.E. the President with request to amend this condition in order to reach a consensus that guarantees the widest participation possible of Palestinian citizens in the current local elections. Furthermore, Dr. Hamdallah added that the President has issued a decree amending said Article, which was positively received by political parties and factions, as well as the CSOs, contributing to strengthening the tendency for active participation in the electoral process.
Concerning local elections in the Gaza Strip, Dr. Hamdallah elaborated that the CEC decided to conduct elections in the city of Deir Al-Balah concurrently with conducting it in 420 local authorities across the districts of the West Bank, with the aim of consolidating political and geographical linkage between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, Dr. Hamdallah confirmed the inability to conduct elections in the remainder of municipalities of the Gaza Strip during the current phase, due to the impossible security and logistical circumstances.
Additionally, Dr. Hamdallah pointed out that the CEC has addressed H.E. the President to issue a decree granting it exceptional powers in order to conduct elections in Deir Al-Balah in light of the difficult reality in the field in the Gaza Strip.
Moreover, Dr. Hamdallah shared with the donors the latest developments regarding the elections of the Palestinian National Council, indicating that the CEC received a Presidential Decree mandating the CEC to conduct the PNC elections on November 1, 2026. The CEC is assessing the technical aspects relevant to executing the Decree.
The meeting highlighted a group of challenges surrounding the electoral process, including the core amendments to the Decree-Law No. (23) of 2025, concerning the Local Authority Council Elections, the adoption of two different electoral systems for the first time, and the very limited timeline allocated for the awareness raising processes compared to the magnitude of legal changes. In addition, conducting the elections in 420 local authorities in one day, for the first time in Palestine.
Furthermore, field and logistical challenges were discussed, most importantly the assault on the Gaza Strip, checkpoints and incursions in the West Bank, emphasizing that such circumstances are unprecedented in the history of the Palestinian electoral process.
Concerning the financial status, Dr. Hamdallah pointed out that the financial crisis suffered by the Palestinian government, and the hindrance of releasing the clearance funds from the Israeli side, as well as its direct impact on the CEC in terms of receiving the money required to implement its mandate, leaving the CEC in critical financial conditions.
In conclusion of the meeting, the CEC expressed its gratitude and appreciation of the EU for their continued support to the CEC over the past years, as well as the latest commitment of a 2-years project for enhancing the CEC’s capacities and guaranteeing the success of the electoral process. Furthermore, the CEC expressed its deepest gratitude to the UNDP for the pivotal role they play in facilitating financial support to the CEC and guaranteeing the continuity of its work according to the highest professional standards. In addition, Dr. Hamdallah thanked Australia for signing an agreement for supporting the electoral process through the UN, and expressed CEC’s appreciation of Canada committing a similar support under the frame of a partnership aiming at enhancing the CEC’s capacities.
It is worth mentioning that the Elections Ad Hoc Sector Working Group (SWG) comprises of donor countries and institutions active in the areas of democracy and good governance, chaired by the CEC and the Ministry of Planning as the secretariat. The SWG convenes regular meetings to discuss the latest developments in relation to elections and democracy in Palestine.