Palestinian Legislative Council

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Palestinian Legislative Council المجلس التشريعي الفلسطيني Al-Majlis al-Tashrīʿiyy al-Filasṭīniyy
2nd Legislative Council
The PLC emblem is referred to as the Eagle of Saladin
Entrance to the Palestinian Legislative Council in Ramallah
Type
Type	Unicameral
Leadership
Speaker	Aziz Dweik, Hamas since 20061
Structure
Seats	132
Political groups	Government (74)   Hamas (74) Opposition (58)   PLO (50)   Fatah (45)   PFLP (3)   DFLP (1)   PPP (1)   PNI (2)   Third Way (2)   Independents (4)
Elections
Voting system	Parallel additional member system
Last election	25 January 2006
Next election	TBD (initially scheduled for 22 May 2021; indefinitely postponed)
Website
www.plc.ps (Gaza Strip government) www.pal-plc.org (West Bank government)
Footnotes
1Dweik was Speaker following the 2006 election. In 2009 he claimed the Presidency by virtue of the expiry of Mahmoud Abbas's term and the absence of new elections.

The Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) is the unicameral legislature of the Palestinian Authority, elected by the Palestinian residents of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. It currently comprises 132 members, elected from 16 electoral districts of the Palestinian Authority. The PLC has a quorum requirement of two-thirds, and since 2006 Hamas and Hamas-affiliated members have held 74 of the 132 seats in the PLC. The PLC's activities were suspended in 2007 and remained so as of November 2023,^[update] while PLC committees continue working at a low rate and parliamentary panel discussions are still occurring.^[1]

The first PLC met for the first time on 7 March 1996. Under the Oslo II Accord, the powers and responsibilities of the PLC are restricted to civil matters and internal security in Area A of the West Bank and Gaza, while in Area B they are restricted to civil affairs with security matters being under the control of the Israel Defense Forces. In Area C, Israel has full control.

The 2006 election for the second PLC was the last PLC election. Following the Hamas–Fatah split in 2007, the PLC ceased to function, with the President issuing laws by decree. Elections for the third PLC were scheduled for May 2021, but were indefinitely postponed.