Democratizing the PLO

The document argues that the PLO is in acute need of democratic reform to address widespread distrust in its unelected leadership. It proposes a model of fully proportional representative elections for the PNC based on the geographic distribution of Palestinians globally. While political will exists between Fatah and Hamas following the May 2011 Cairo Agreement, the author identifies significant obstacles, including the risk to Jordanian citizenship for voters in Jordan and pressure from Western powers (the Quartet) who oppose a Palestinian leadership that includes Hamas.

• There is a significant discrepancy between the current representation within the PLO Executive Committee and the actual popular mandate revealed by the 2006 Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) elections, where Hamas won a majority but remained outside the PLO.
• The PLO has historically relied on a 'quota system' of political representation based on consensus and inclusion of various guerrilla groups rather than proportional popular support, which has preserved the power of faction leaders regardless of their current popularity.
• The author proposes a 'full proportional representative system' for PNC elections, where seats are allocated to electoral districts based on the number of Palestinians living in those locations, including the diaspora.
• A proposed allocation for a 250-seat PNC (plus 50 reserved for Israeli Palestinians) would distribute seats as follows: West Bank (83), Gaza (50), Jordan (66), Syria (16), Lebanon (14), and other countries (21).
• The Central Council, which is not defined in the PLO constitution and has been used to serve the agendas of the Palestinian Authority (PA), is identified as a body that should be abolished to return to constitutional stipulations.
• Jordan presents a major practical obstacle to PNC elections because Jordanian Palestinians fear that participating in PLO elections could lead to the revocation of their Jordanian citizenship due to laws against dual nationality.
• The political rift between Fatah and Hamas has historically blocked PLO reforms, but the author suggests that the Arab Spring and a shift in Fatah's strategy toward 'internationalization' have narrowed the gap between the two factions.
• Western countries, specifically the Quartet, are identified as a primary threat to Palestinian democratization because they demand that Hamas recognize Israel and renounce violence as a condition for engagement.
• The Palestinian Authority's heavy reliance on external grants and aid (50-55% of its budget) gives Western donors leverage to pressure Fatah against reconciliation and PLO reform.

APA

Tuastad, D. (2012). Democratizing the PLO. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/2310843d-d890-4445-bfab-03d9f2e4c2a7/Tuastad-Democratizing-the-PLO-PRIO-Paper-2012.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Tuastad, Dag. Democratizing the PLO. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2012. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/2310843d-d890-4445-bfab-03d9f2e4c2a7/Tuastad-Democratizing-the-PLO-PRIO-Paper-2012.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Tuastad |first1=Dag |title=Democratizing the PLO |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=January 2012 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/2310843d-d890-4445-bfab-03d9f2e4c2a7/Tuastad-Democratizing-the-PLO-PRIO-Paper-2012.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{tuastad2012democratizing, author = {Tuastad, Dag}, title = {{Democratizing the PLO}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2012}, month = jan, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/2310843d-d890-4445-bfab-03d9f2e4c2a7/Tuastad-Democratizing-the-PLO-PRIO-Paper-2012.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }