Palestinian Basic Law
About the site
& contact info

The Palestinian Basic Law

A collection of various propsals and amendments to the Basic Law of Palestine.

News & updates

Symposium on Palestinian disunity


Deprecated: Function the_content_rss is deprecated since version 2.9.0! Use the_content_feed() instead. in /home/3/p/palestinianbasic/www/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6078

Warning: Undefined variable $excerpt in /home/3/p/palestinianbasic/www/wp-includes/deprecated.php on line 1714
About two hundred Arab writers, journalists, analysts, poets, academics, and politicians partook in the panel of an online symposium arranged by the Paris-based Euro-Arab Center for Studies. The topic was ...   More...

Fatah rejects joint control of Rafah crossing


Deprecated: Function the_content_rss is deprecated since version 2.9.0! Use the_content_feed() instead. in /home/3/p/palestinianbasic/www/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6078

Warning: Undefined variable $excerpt in /home/3/p/palestinianbasic/www/wp-includes/deprecated.php on line 1714
Senior Fatah leader Ibrahim Abu An-Naja asserts that Fatah has refused a Hamas suggestion to limited the role of joint security forces to the Rafah crossing. According to An-Naja, the ...   More...

Committee urges cancellation of death sentences


Deprecated: Function the_content_rss is deprecated since version 2.9.0! Use the_content_feed() instead. in /home/3/p/palestinianbasic/www/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6078

Warning: Undefined variable $excerpt in /home/3/p/palestinianbasic/www/wp-includes/deprecated.php on line 1714
A reconciliation committee of Palestinian factions urges Hamas to cancel the death sentences against three Palestinian. The Palestinians were sentenced in a Hamas military court. In a letter, the committee ...   More...

Hamas rejected joint Gaza force


Deprecated: Function the_content_rss is deprecated since version 2.9.0! Use the_content_feed() instead. in /home/3/p/palestinianbasic/www/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6078

Warning: Undefined variable $excerpt in /home/3/p/palestinianbasic/www/wp-includes/deprecated.php on line 1714
Hamas confirms that it has rejected an Egyptian proposal for a joint Gaza security force with Fatah. The joint force was to administer the Rafah crossing. Reform of the security forces is a ...   More...

Abbas apppoints new governor


Deprecated: Function the_content_rss is deprecated since version 2.9.0! Use the_content_feed() instead. in /home/3/p/palestinianbasic/www/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6078

Warning: Undefined variable $excerpt in /home/3/p/palestinianbasic/www/wp-includes/deprecated.php on line 1714
President Mahmoud Abbas has issued two decrees appointing Abed Al-Fatah Hamail to governor of Bethlehem and Salah Al-Tamari as presidential adviser on settlements and the wall. Read: Maan News, "Abbas appoints ...   More...

Fatah official announces sixth conference


Deprecated: Function the_content_rss is deprecated since version 2.9.0! Use the_content_feed() instead. in /home/3/p/palestinianbasic/www/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6078

Warning: Undefined variable $excerpt in /home/3/p/palestinianbasic/www/wp-includes/deprecated.php on line 1714
According to Hussein Ash-Sheikh, head of the Palestinian Civil Affairs department, technical committess are preparing Fatah's awaited sixth general conference. The conference is set for the beginning of July. Read: Maan News, ...   More...

France will work with new government


Deprecated: Function the_content_rss is deprecated since version 2.9.0! Use the_content_feed() instead. in /home/3/p/palestinianbasic/www/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6078

Warning: Undefined variable $excerpt in /home/3/p/palestinianbasic/www/wp-includes/deprecated.php on line 1714
The French government has issued a statement welcoming the new Palestinian government formed by President Mahmoud Abbas. Read: Maan News, "France pledges support for new PA government", 21 May 2009, http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=210678&MARK=Fatah   More...

Abbas rejects postponement of elections


Deprecated: Function the_content_rss is deprecated since version 2.9.0! Use the_content_feed() instead. in /home/3/p/palestinianbasic/www/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6078

Warning: Undefined variable $excerpt in /home/3/p/palestinianbasic/www/wp-includes/deprecated.php on line 1714
President Mahmoud Abbas has rejected a behind the scenes proposal to extend the term of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) and the president. Parliamentary and presidential elections are due in ...   More...

Abbas swears in new cabinet amidst protests


Deprecated: Function the_content_rss is deprecated since version 2.9.0! Use the_content_feed() instead. in /home/3/p/palestinianbasic/www/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6078

Warning: Undefined variable $excerpt in /home/3/p/palestinianbasic/www/wp-includes/deprecated.php on line 1714
President Mahmoud Abbas has sworn in a new cabinet against objections from both Hamas and his own Fatah party. Salam Fayyad was reappointed prime minister in spite of demands from ...   More...

-Committees to solve unity issues


Deprecated: Function the_content_rss is deprecated since version 2.9.0! Use the_content_feed() instead. in /home/3/p/palestinianbasic/www/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6078

Warning: Undefined variable $excerpt in /home/3/p/palestinianbasic/www/wp-includes/deprecated.php on line 1714
According to leading Fatah figure Ibrahim Abdul Naja, Egypt will set up a schedule for five committees on each of the unresolved issues in the negotiations between Fatah and Hamas. ...   More...

Next,

Resources
Search
About

Facts about the Basic Law

The Palestinian Basic Law is to function as a temporary constitution for the Palestinian Authority until the establishment of an independent state and a permanent constitution for Palestine can be achieved.

The Basic Law was passed by the Palestinian Legislative Council in 1997 and ratified by President Yasser Arafat in 2002. It has subsequently been amended twice; in 2003 the political system was changed to introduce a prime minister. In 2005 it was amended to conform to the new Election Law. The 2003 reform was comprehensive and affected the whole nature of the Palestinian political system, whereas the 2005 amendment was only minor and affected only a few paragraphs.

A parallel effort has been made to draft a permanent Palestinian constitution for an independent state, but this was shelved in favor of amending the existing Basic Law.


About this site

This website presents a collection of various drafts and amendments related to the Basic Law and other constitutional texts that have been compiled from various other sources.

You can also expect to find links to news items and reports that are of relevance to Palestinian constitutional law, the electoral framework, political reform and the PA branches of government.

The website was created by the Norwegian journalists Erik Bolstad and Tonje M. Viken in February 2008. The site is a private initiative and has no affiliation to any organizations or authorities.

All external links are purely for information purposes and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors of this site.

Information and contact details.