The Palestinian struggle for liberation and independence has always been tied to the fight for democratic representation. However, the current reality reveals a painful truth: Palestinians, both inside Palestine and in the diaspora, lack a legitimate democratic leadership that truly represents them. The Palestinian Authority (PA), established under the Oslo Accords, has lost its legitimacy, while the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), which was founded on 28 May, 1964, to represent all Palestinians, no longer enjoys broad popular support. Instead, its legitimacy is mostly derived from Arab and international recognition rather than an authentic reflection of the popular will.

The last Palestinian legislative election was held on 25 January, 2006. It resulted in a sweeping victory for Hamas in both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. However, this democratic outcome was not accepted by the PA and its backers. Instead, it was met with political and economic sanctions led by international and regional powers, culminating in an internal Palestinian split that persists to this day. Since then, no legislative or presidential elections have taken place, creating a political vacuum and an ongoing crisis of legitimacy.

The response to the 2006 election was effectively a coup against democracy.

According to the Palestinian Basic Law, Mahmoud Abbas’s term as president ended on 9 January, 2009. The law stipulates that the Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) should have temporarily........

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