*The Media Line*
*Head of “New Path” says upcoming Palestinian elections could pave the way for leadership change*
The head of the New Path movement, Samer Sinjlawi, announced in a statement that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to announce later this month that Palestinian legislative elections will be held on November 28. Sinjlawi described these elections as an opportunity for the emergence of a new Palestinian political leadership “after years of political stagnation.”
He added that the anticipated announcement comes after sustained pressure from advocates of Palestinian democracy and that it will represent the first legislative elections held in more than two decades.
In mid-June, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas issued a decree calling for presidential elections in early 2027 and legislative elections in November of this year, according to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA, without clarifying whether he intends to run for president again.
Abbas, 90, won the last Palestinian presidential election in 2005 for a four-year term, meaning his term was supposed to end in 2009.
However, his term was extended, and no presidential elections have been held since. He has continued to rule by presidential decree, drawing criticism both domestically and internationally.
Israelis are scheduled to elect a new government by October 20, with Palestinian legislative elections to follow shortly afterward.
Sinjlawi said:
“For the first time in more than two decades, there is a real opportunity for a new Palestinian leadership to emerge through the ballot box.”
He predicted that Fatah would receive about 20% of the vote, with Islamist parties receiving a similar percentage, while the remaining votes would be divided among two or three new political parties, including a new political movement, which he described as a moderate, democratic, and reformist national alternative.
He also pointed out that obstacles still hinder holding elections on a fair and equal basis.
*He said that the Palestinian Authority has not yet adopted a law for political parties that guarantees equal opportunities for all political forces, and he accused the Palestinian security services of interfering in the activities of emerging political movements.*
He added:
> “In recent days, the Palestinian General Intelligence Service summoned a number of leaders of the New Path movement in the West Bank for questioning, in what we consider attempts to intimidate and harass the movement.”*
Sinjlawi called on the international community to follow these developments and support what he described as the Palestinian people’s right to hold free, fair, and competitive elections.
He added:
> “A new Palestinian leadership with democratic legitimacy will serve the interests of both Palestinians and Israelis.”
Al-Sinjlawi concluded his statement by saying that these elections could determine the future of Palestinian political life:
“Change is now within reach. We face two clear choices: either elections that open the door to a new era of moderation, partnership, and peace, or the continuation of the current reality, which will most likely lead to a new generation of wars and conflicts.”
التاريخ 3-7-2026
