Palestinian Elections Set for November After 20-Year Wait

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas issued a decree Thursday setting November 28 as the date for elections to the Palestinian Legislative Council, the parliament of the Palestinian Authority. The announcement was reported by the official Palestinian news agency Wafa, according to AFP. Palestinians in East Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip, and the occupied West Bank are eligible to vote. If the election proceeds, it will be the first time in 20 years that Palestinians choose their legislative body. The council was established in 1996 following the Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Only two elections have been held in its history: in 1996 and 2006. Abbas has issued decrees for new elections several times before, but they were repeatedly postponed indefinitely.