With 60 Candidates: The Democratic Front Announces Its Electoral List "Unity and Change"

Ramallah - Afaq News - The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine announced in a press conference held today in Ramallah the formation and submission of a list named "Unity and Democratic Change" to the Central Elections Commission, to participate in the legislative council elections scheduled for November 28, 2026.

The front stated that the list includes 60 candidates from the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Jerusalem, including women, youth, and prisoners.

The Deputy Secretary-General of the front, Majda Al-Masri, who heads the list, announced its formation during the conference, stating that the front's participation in the elections stems from its commitment to holding them on time, after nearly 20 years during which citizens were deprived of electing their representatives in the legislative council.

She described the elections as a democratic and constitutional right, a gateway to rebuilding the political system based on popular will, restoring national unity, and ending the division.

Al-Masri clarified that the name of the list combines two goals: unifying the homeland and its institutions, and bringing about democratic change based on pluralism and partnership. She considered that electing a new legislative council could pave the way for forming a national consensus government, unifying the political system in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Jerusalem, and preserving the legal unity of the occupied Palestinian territories.

The Egyptian linked these priorities to the challenges facing the Palestinians, particularly the war on Gaza and what she described as projects to impose guardianship over the sector. She emphasized the necessity of enhancing Palestinian sovereignty and unifying efforts in confronting the occupation, alongside adopting economic and social policies that strengthen the resilience of citizens.

The Egyptian renewed her call for a comprehensive national dialogue involving all Palestinian forces, to agree on the foundations for conducting elections and their mechanisms, and to ensure respect for pluralism and the results of the ballot.

She affirmed that the call for dialogue does not contradict the commitment to hold elections on their scheduled date, noting that the front has raised this position since the formation of the preparatory committee for the National Council elections.

A separate list after the failure of coalition efforts

The Egyptian stated that the front submitted a separate list after the unsuccessful attempts to form a joint list that includes democratic and leftist forces and independent national figures.

However, she clarified, "Our primary option was a list that includes all democratic forces at the time, and this was proposed specifically by the Popular and Democratic Fronts, the democratic forces, and leftist forces, including national figures and democratic figures. I mean here what we used to call and still call (the five democratic forces), which means the two fronts, the People's Party, the Initiative, and the Fida Movement, in addition to national figures and democratic figures rallying around the democratic forces, but that did not succeed.

However, Al-Masri confirmed that this does not negate the possibility of a joint list in case the conditions arise to reach such a list because we wanted it to be a strong list, a serious list that restores confidence in the role of the left for our Palestinian people and for all democratic forces and opens the door to forming a democratic current.

She added that the possibility of reaching a joint list is still on the table if the conditions are met according to the election law.

She emphasized that the lack of forming an electoral alliance does not prevent joint work between these forces within the Legislative Council, especially on issues related to citizens' rights, social justice, and oversight of government performance.

Al-Masri outlined the general lines of the vision for the (Unity and Democratic Change) list, explaining that it includes unifying efforts to confront the occupation, enhancing Palestinian sovereignty, and directing spending towards the sectors of health, education, agriculture, and infrastructure. She also pointed to the importance of providing job opportunities for graduates and workers, and enacting legislation that protects the rights of prisoners, the families of martyrs, workers, youth, and women.

60 candidates and representation for women and youth

For her part, candidate Nada Tawir stated that the list includes 60 names from various governorates, with women making up 37% of its candidates and youth 30%, in addition to the presence of prisoners among them. She added that the preparation of the list came after meetings and dialogues within the front, and that two extensive meetings of the regional committees of the West Bank and Gaza approved it unanimously.

Tawir explained that Majda Al-Masri heads the list, followed by Louay Abu Ma'mar from the Gaza Strip, then Muhammad Othman Dweikat in third place, Nada Tawir in fourth place, and Ibrahim Abu Hajla at the end of the list.

Tawir confirmed that the front views the elections as an opportunity to renew trust in Palestinian institutions and to present competencies capable of working in the Legislative Council, in light of the challenges facing Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem.

In response to a question during the conference regarding the selection of candidates, Muhammad Dweikat stated that the grassroots organizations of the front and its friends all participated in selecting the candidates through forming dialogues and holding extensive meetings for all its cadres, friends, and those surrounding them to ensure that it is indeed part of an internal democratic process.

Dweikat added: The position of the Front is based on including the electoral process within the institutions of the Palestinian political system, whether affiliated with the Palestinian Authority or the Palestine Liberation Organization, and called for the participation of all factions, without exception, in preparing for the elections and agreeing on the foundations for conducting them.

In response to another question, Majda Al-Masri answered: We represent an extension of a 57-year-long struggle, during which we have carried the issues of our people and defended their national, democratic, and social rights. We have aligned ourselves with their interests in freedom, dignity, and justice. We are entering these elections with accumulated struggle experience and a vision aimed at transforming it into effective political and parliamentary action that restores the legislative council's role in legislation, oversight, and accountability, and enhances the unity of our people based on national partnership. We believe that unity is strength, democracy is a method, and change is a necessity; and that plurality and difference can be the basis for a comprehensive national partnership that respects the will of the voter and opens the door for renewal and accountability.