LONDON: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has received a draft of the provisional constitution as the Palestinian Authority prepares to conduct elections this year.

Abbas said on Thursday that the drafting of the provisional Palestinian constitution would pave the way for the transition from the current Palestinian Authority to a fully fledged state, which to date about 160 countries have recognized.

Palestinian local elections are scheduled for April, while the Palestinian National Council elections are to take place in November, according to a decree issued by Abbas last week. The latter are for the Palestine Liberation Organization’s parliament and it will be the first time members are elected by direct popular vote, rather than appointed or co-opted.

Counselor Muhammad Al-Hajj Qasim led the drafting committee, which worked for about seven months and held 70 meetings. It consulted various civil society organizations and relevant stakeholders, according to the WAFA News Agency.

Qasim said the draft constitution maintained political pluralism and the separation of powers, while allowing parliament to carry out its oversight and legislative responsibilities. A copy of the draft will be submitted to the PLO’s Executive Committee.

The last national election for Palestinians was in 2006 but they voted for local representatives in 2021.

The Palestinian Legislative Council has not convened since 2007. Abbas dissolved the parliament in 2018 after it had remained inactive for over a decade, largely due to a rift between Fatah and Hamas, and the arrest of several MPs, primarily from Hamas, by the Israeli authorities.