During his recent visit, former President Carter urged Palestinians to hold elections soon. Its been almost ten years since the last elections were held and therefore no officeholder in Palestine holds an electorally legitimate position given all terms have now long ago expired.
No election has been held in the occupied territories for nearly a decade.
Abbas's presidential mandate expired in 2009, but he remains in office since there has been no election. The Palestinian parliament has also not met since 2007.
In 2006, a year after Abbas was elected, Hamas won the most recent Palestinian legislative elections. Differences between Abbas's Fatah party and the Islamist Hamas then led to the so-called "inqissam", or division.
Despite the rivals signing a reconciliation agreement a year ago, Hamas is reluctant to hand over power in Gaza to an independent Palestinian unity government they formed.