Draft Palestinian constitution nearing completion

Work on the draft Palestinian constitution is nearing completion, with the final version expected to be submitted to President Mahmoud Abbas by November 24. The update was announced by Ahmad Majdalani, a member of the PLO Executive Committee, in comments to Izvestia.

Majdalani said most sections of the provisional constitution have been prepared according to the timetable set by Abbas. He added that the draft is now in its final review stage and will be fully examined at a Constitutional Committee meeting on November 17.

According to Majdalani, the document outlines a future Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, covering East Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Once completed, the draft will be discussed with all political and civil groups, including Hamas, both inside and outside the country.

The report notes that Palestine’s current legal basis is the Basic Law developed from Yasser Arafat’s 1988 declaration of independence. The renewed push for a constitution comes amid the failure to implement the 1993 Oslo Accords.