EU, UK, Canada 'deeply regret' Abbas decision to postpone PA legislative elections

The foreign ministers of Australia, Canada, France, and the UK also said that Abbas' decision to postpone elections would "once again deprive Palestinians of the opportunity to vote."

The European Union said on Wednesday that it “deeply regrets” the Palestinian Authority’s decision to postpone legislative elections, which were originally slated for November, until September 2027.

PA President Mahmoud Abbas announced on Saturday that the November 28 elections were canceled and would instead take place on September 11, 2027, the same day as the presidential elections.

The EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, said that the holding of transparent, democratic elections in the PA is “long overdue,” emphasizing the importance of Abbas remaining in line with previous commitments to organize elections as soon as possible.

“Credible, inclusive and transparent elections for all Palestinians are vital for the Palestinian people, democratic legitimacy, and accountability, as well as for the two-state solution,” Kallas’ statement continued.

She also warned that continued EU support goes hand in hand with the PA advancing reforms and making progress towards democratic objectives.

Palestinians deprived of opportunity to vote, foreign ministers say

The foreign ministers of Australia, Canada, France, and the UK also decried Abbas’s decision as “deeply disappointing” in a joint statement released on Tuesday.

“Nearly two decades have passed since the last Palestinian Legislative Council elections and five years since the planned 2021 elections were postponed,” the joint statement noted. “An entire generation of Palestinians has reached adulthood without the opportunity to choose their elected representatives.”

The ministers asserted that the delay would “once again deprive Palestinians of the opportunity to vote and will further erode public confidence in democratic institutions.”

They additionally highlighted the importance of the elections in light of Abbas and the PA’s earlier commitments to reform, accountability, and democratic renewal.

“We call on the Palestinian Authority to reconsider the decision to postpone elections and to take the necessary steps to hold legislative and presidential elections, without further delay,” the ministers urged.