Event Summary
On 19 November 2025, President Mahmoud Abbas issued Decree-Law No. (23) of 2025 concerning the election of local council bodies, annulling the previous Law No. (10) of 2005 regarding the election of local bodies. The new law introduced a new requirement that had not appeared in any previous drafts discussed: it obliges every election candidate to sign a declaration committing to the program of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), its international obligations, and the decisions of international legitimacy.
Civil and human rights organisations have condemned this new requirement, stating that its inclusion constitutes a fundamental violation of the right to political participation, as guaranteed under international human rights standards – particularly the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), acceded to by the State of Palestine and therefore legally binding. Under the covenant, this right must be protected without discrimination as to political opinion. Moreover, this requirement contradicts the Declaration of Independence, which established the principles of freedom, democracy, and political pluralism, as well as the Palestinian Basic Law, which guarantees rights and freedoms, including the right to political participation.
Civil society actors working on governance, human rights, youth participation, or community development may also face exclusion from election-related activities and pressure to self-censor if they are not aligned with the PLO programme. The sudden imposition of this requirement, after national consultations had concluded, also undermines the credibility of the dialogue in which civil society organisations participated.
The signatory institutions called on the Palestinian government to immediately retract this requirement, which risks further marginalising civil society and producing negative effects on citizens’ confidence in the electoral process.