Mahmoud Abbas announces Palestinian presidential election in early 2027, first since 2005

Election after two decades

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas announced that a presidential election will take place in early 2027, according to a decree published on Monday 15 June 2026. The announcement ends more than two decades without a presidential ballot. Abbas won the last election in early 2005, shortly after the death of Yasser Arafat, the Authority’s first president. His original mandate was four years, expiring in 2009. No election has been held since, and Abbas has governed through presidential decrees, drawing criticism at home and abroad.

Decree details

“President Mahmoud Abbas announced that the presidential election will be held in 2027.”

The official Palestinian news agency Wafa carried the decree and specified that voting is planned for the early months of the year. The decree also sets legislative elections for the end of 2027, meaning voters would go to the polls twice that year.

The president’s silence on his own future

Abbas, now 90, has not said whether he intends to stand again. He was elected at age 69 and would be 91 by the time of the vote. The absence of a declared candidate leaves the field open and adds uncertainty to the political landscape.

International and domestic context

The move comes after years of suspended electoral processes. Previous attempts to organise votes were repeatedly postponed, most recently in 2021, when a planned legislative election was called off amid disputes over East Jerusalem voting rights. The announcement is likely to revive scrutiny of the Authority’s legitimacy and governance structures.