The 2nd Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) served as the legislature of the Palestinian Authority, established following the 2006 legislative election, in which 132 members were elected on 25 January 2006. The PLC was intended to operate for a four-year term, with its mandate set to conclude on 25 January 2010 as per the Basic Law.[1]
On 28 March 2006, the Palestinian Legislative Council held a vote of confidence for the First Haniyeh Government, led by Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas, following Hamas' victory in the 2006 election. After a year of political tensions and negotiations which led to the Fatah–Hamas Mecca Agreement, the Second Haniyeh Government, a National Unity Government, was approved by the PLC, though nearly one-third of its members were absent from the session. Following the dismissal of the cabinet by President Mahmoud Abbas, he appointed Third Way co-leader Salam Fayyad as Prime Minister. However, Fayyad's government was unable to secure a proper vote of confidence, as both Fatah and Hamas boycotted the parliamentary session in Ramallah on 22 June 2007.[2] None of the subsequent governments received the required vote of confidence from the Palestinian Legislative Council, as mandated by the Basic Law, and were instead established through presidential decrees.
On 22 December 2018, the Palestinian Legislative Council was officially dissolved by Abbas, following a ruling by the Supreme Constitutional Court, which also called for elections for the 3rd PLC to be held within six months from the date of publishing the decision in the Official Gazette.[3][4] However, Hamas, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007, rejected the legitimacy of the dissolution,[5][6] and no new elections have been held since.
The terms of all PLC members officially ended with the council's dissolution, but the legitimacy of this action remains contested due to the ongoing political division between the West Bank, governed by the Palestinian Authority, and the Gaza Strip, controlled by Hamas.
According to Article 4 of the Bylaw of the Palestinian Legislative Council, the Bureau (also known as Office) consists of the Speaker, two Deputy-Speakers, and the Secretary-General, all of whom are elected by the Council through a secret ballot at the beginning of each session. The Bureau's term lasts until the opening day of the next regular session. If any position within the Bureau becomes vacant during this period, the Council holds an election to choose a successor.
Since plenary sessions of the full Palestinian Legislative Council have not been held since 2007, a new Bureau has not been lawfully elected in accordance with the Council's procedures. As a result, the Bureau elected in 2006 continues to consider itself as remaining in office.
This is a list of all 132 members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) originally elected in 2006, organized by electoral district.[9] As of 31 December 2010, 16 members had been imprisoned by Israeli authorities. Currently, at least ten members are reported to be deceased.
Original composition of the Palestinian Legislative Council by party list (left) and electoral district (right).
^The PLC did not have the necessary quorum to convene in full after the Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip on 15 June 2007. As a result, no new session was commenced in accordance with the Council's procedures.
^This number accounts for members who are currently detained or imprisoned, even though they are not able to attend sessions.
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