Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has announced that presidential elections would be held in 2027, the Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported on Sunday.

Abbas also issued a presidential decree calling on Palestinians, both at home and in the diaspora, to participate in the Palestinian National Council elections scheduled for Nov. 1 this year, WAFA reported.

According to WAFA, Abbas on Sunday issued a decree-law to enhance political participation and broaden democratic representation.

The new rule "increases the number of seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council to 200, lowers the electoral threshold for winning seats to 1 percent, and raises the minimum number of candidates on each electoral list from 16 to 20," WAFA reported.