The Foreign Ministers of Australia, Canada, France and the United Kingdom said in a joint statement published on 13 October 2026 that they deeply regret the Palestinian President’s decision to postpone Palestinian Legislative Council and presidential elections to September 2027. They noted that nearly two decades have passed since the last Legislative Council elections and five years since the planned 2021 elections were postponed, saying an entire generation of Palestinians has reached adulthood without the chance to elect representatives.

The ministers said the delay would deprive Palestinians of the opportunity to vote and further erode public confidence in democratic institutions. They acknowledged significant challenges affecting the ability to hold elections consistent with international standards and with the participation of all eligible Palestinians, and commended the Central Elections Commission’s preparatory work. They called credible elections an important element of President Abbas’s and the Palestinian Authority’s reform commitments under the June 2025 New York Declaration.

The ministers called on the Palestinian Authority to reconsider the postponement and hold legislative and presidential elections without further delay. They reiterated their call on Israel to refrain from actions that could impede elections, including arrangements for all Palestinians to participate, and repeated their position that Hamas can have no role in the future governance of Palestine.