The Palestinian parliament approved a new electoral law Wednesday, but Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas is expected to veto this legislation.
Abbas and his Fatah movement, which has the majority in parliament, are wrangling over the method by which the new legislature will be chosen. Abbas wants all lawmakers to be chosen from party slates. However, under the new electoral law approved Wednesday, two-thirds of the legislators would be chosen in district voting.
District voting is expected to boost the chances of the current lawmakers to be re-elected.
According to The AP, parliament Speaker Rauhi Fattouh said Abbas informed him even before Wednesday’s vote that he would veto the legislation. Fattouh noted Abbas would have to renew his objections in a formal paper once he returns from a trip to the Far East this weekend.
Legislator Azmi Shuaibi, an independent, said the dispute could cause the parliament election to be delayed. “If Abu Mazen does not approve this draft, it could delay the elections for a few weeks for technical reasons,” he said.
