Jordan Times
Sunday, February 4, 2007
Parliament Watch
The Lower House is expected to finalise the draft municipalities law in an
evening session today, ahead of nationwide municipal elections slated for later
this year.
Some of the urgent articles still to be endorsed include one that permits
citizens aged 18 years and above to vote, as opposed to 19 in the past. The
government said reducing the age of eligible voters was necessary to allow more
citizens to participate in the elections.
MPs will also discuss an article that allows for the direct election of mayors,
except for the Amman mayor, who will be still appointed by the government.
Over the past two sessions, deputies endorsed several important articles related
to the elections, including a quota that grants women 20 per cent of municipal
council seats, academic qualifications of mayors and measures to counter vote
rigging.
They also endorsed articles governing voting procedures, such as the duration of
the polls and conditions under which election supervisors are permitted to
extend the voting period.
Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit told deputies last week that the government plans
to start preparations for elections once the bill is signed into law.
Observers expect the elections to be held in mid-June.
In his Speech from the Throne, delivered at the opening of the fourth ordinary
session of Parliament last November, His Majesty King Abdullah affirmed the
importance and necessity of finalising laws sent to the legislature, “especially
those regulating political parties, municipalities, media and freedom of
information.”
Lawmakers expect the Lower House to press ahead with the remaining draft laws on
political reform during the current session, scheduled to conclude by the end of
March.
The government recently presented the draft political parties law, an amendment
to the Press and Publications Law and the draft law on the right to access of
information to Parliament.