Carney says Canada is holding the Palestinian Authority ‘to account’ on elections commitment

OTTAWA – Prime Minister Mark Carney said his government will be holding the Palestinian National Authority to account on its commitment to hold legislative elections, after the president postponed the vote until next year.

“We are certainly holding (the Palestinian Authority) to account,” said Carney, during a press conference in Ottawa on Wednesday.

“We’re supporting efforts to have those elections and to have free and fair elections in Palestine, and we’ll continue to do so,” he added.

Last July, Carney announced Canada would officially recognize the state of Palestine, led by the Palestinian Authority. Carney has said Canada remains committed to a two-state solution, which is “critical for peace, stability and security in the Middle East and beyond.”

The recognition was predicated on the Palestinian Authority’s commitment to several reforms, including reforming its governance, holding general elections in 2026 in which Hamas can play no part, and demilitarizing the Palestinian state.

However, Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas recently postponed legislative elections that were set to take place next month to September 2027. Reporting by the Associated Press indicates that decision was made following a discussion between Palestinian factions, including the Hamas-allied Islamic Jihad Group.

The Palestine Liberation Organization’s executive committee blamed Israeli military raids, settlement expansion, withheld tax revenues and lack of progress on Gaza reconstruction as the reasons for the postponement.

Israel Foreign Affairs Minister Gideon Sa’ar said Abbas is evading democratic accountability.

“His attempt to drag Israel into this, falsely claiming that Israel imposed obstacles to holding elections, is yet another ridiculous lie designed to evade responsibility and accountability,” he said, in a post on X on Oct. 10. “Just like the other lies about ‘reforms’ that were never implemented — ending payments to terrorists and their families, and stopping incitement in the Palestinian education system.”

Abbas has been president since 2005 and is now in the 22nd year of a four-year term. Abbas has repeatedly cancelled elections before, including in 2021, citing conflict with Israel over voter participation in East Jerusalem.

Last week, foreign affairs ministers from the United Kingdom, Australia and France, issued a joint statement saying they “deeply regret” Abbas’s decision not to move forward with elections.

“We call on the Palestinian Authority to reconsider the decision to postpone elections and to take the necessary steps to hold legislative and presidential elections, without further delay,” the statement issued on Oct. 13 said.

The ministers also said the “significant challenges and impediments have affected the ability to conduct elections” and called on Israel “to refrain from actions that could impede the conduct of elections, including the practical arrangements necessary for all Palestinians to participate.”

The federal government has pledged nearly $600 million in aid for Palestinian civilians since the Israel-Hamas war started in October 2023. Carney recently announced $100 million in aid at the United Nations General Assembly last month, with $80 million in humanitarian aid, while the rest is intended for development funding in security initiatives.

Carney said difficulty remains in getting Canadian aid to people in Gaza, who are facing a humanitarian crisis.

“We have far more resources dedicated to support than are able to be delivered to Gaza,” he said. “So there are many things that are not working in within Palestine, and there are many who are responsible for that.”

National Post

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