President Mahmoud Abbas ratifies first-ever voting system for Palestinian parliamentary elections
LONDON: The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, on Thursday ratified a voting system for the Palestinian National Council election scheduled for November.
It will be the first time that members of the council, which was established in 1964 and is the Palestinian parliament, have been chosen by a direct public vote.
Candidates will contest 200 seats in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. A further 150 seats have been designated for members who will represent Palestinian refugees in other countries, the Palestinian Wafa news agency reported.
The Palestinian National Council has served as the legislative body of the Palestine Liberation Organization since before, and following, the establishment of the Palestinian Authority as part of the 1993 Oslo Accord peace deal with Israel.
