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Reform & Development Strategy
Constitutional Evolution
Political Reform & Democratization
Jordanian Elections 2003
Parliamentary Affairs
Jordan's Vision for the Future: The Reform Agenda
Jordanian Elections 2003
Interior Minister Qaftan Majali announced the parliamentary
election results with official election
spokesperson Faisal Shboul on June 18, 2003. It's the country's first general
polls under the reign of His Majesty King Abdullah.
His Majesty King Abdullah has described the parliamentary elections as a
historic milestone, one marking a new beginning for the Jordanian people.
In remarks during his inspection visit to the Ministry of Interior, where he was
briefed on the voting process, King Abdullah urged Jordanians to take part in
the elections and choose deputies who can fulfill their aspirations and those of
the nation.
The King expressed hope that the new Parliament will turn Jordan into a model of
democracy for the Arab region.
Some 1.3 million Jordanians turned out at voting centres on June 17, to elect
their representatives to the Kingdom's 14th
Lower House of Parliament, with
independent candidates sweeping the majority of seats, according to preliminary
results.
The number of voters who cast their ballots constituted almost 58.8 per cent of
registered voters, who total 2,325,496 of the country's 5.4 million citizens.
The Kingdom's most prominent tribal representatives carried a large majority of
the seats in the country's 45 constituencies. The highest turnout, 86 per cent,
was registered in Karak, while the lowest ratio of voters, 44.62 per cent, was
in Amman.
Prime Minister, Ali Abul Ragheb announced in
February 2003, that Jordan would hold parliamentary elections on June
17.
This announcement came three days after His Majesty King Abdullah issued a
Royal Decree ordering that elections for the Lower House of Parliament be held
in accordance with the provisions of the law. "We, Abdullah II Ben Al
Hussein, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, according to Article 34 of the
Constitution, order that elections for the House of Deputies be conducted in
accordance with the provisions of the law."
"The date of elections is important, but it is equally important that
voters know exactly what they need from their future deputies... a responsible
voter would be expecting a full-fledged platform that meets the requirements of
socio-economic and political development in the country." His Majesty King
Abdullah told Petra in his January interview.
Prime Minister Ali Abul Ragheb stated that the government is "ready to
open channels of dialogue with all parties and political forces." Abul
Ragheb also voiced hope that all citizens would participate in the elections,
assuring that "they will be free and fair."
"The time was determined in line with His Majesty King Abdullah's
instructions for the government to hold elections," Prime Minister Abul
Ragheb said, adding that there is no intention of postponing the parliamentary
polls.
The premier called on those who are planning to run for seats in the Lower
House to start campaigning. He also urged citizens to exercise their right to
vote and select "the candidate they believe is the best to serve the
country and its people."
The Central Elections Committee was set up to organize and ensure the smooth running of the parliamentary elections. The Committee is headed by Minister of Interior Qaftan Al Majali
(www.moi.gov.jo). Mr.Faisal
Shboul, the Director General of the Jordan News Agency, Petra, was named as spokesperson for the 2003 parliamentary elections.
(www.jordan-elections.com)
Candidate
Eligibility:
Government employees that are on early
retirement under the “istidaa” system are not eligible to be
candidates in the upcoming parliamentary elections.
According to the system, government
employees can seek early retirement five years before actual
separation. But they will not be paid salaries or a pension
allowance during this period. By the end of the proscribed time, an
employee on istidaa is automatically enrolled as a pensioner and is
entitled to pension pay. According to Article 167 of the Civil
Service Regulation, people that fall under this category are
considered civil servants and are therefore ineligible to run for
election unless they resign their posts.
Citizens working in the following
capacities would have to resign their position as a prerequisite
for eligibility: Government employees, staff of public institutions
and agencies as well as Arab and international organizations.
Mayors and members of municipal councils also fall under the
article's rules.
Candidacy registration will be open
from May 18 to May 20.
Fees of JD500 will be paid during or before this period.
Voting
Criteria:
Of the country's 5.4 million
citizens, 2,843,483 are eligible to vote this year. 81.8 per cent,
or 2,325,496 (1,133,907 males and 1,191,589 females), have
registered, according to Minister of Interior Qaftan Majali. Citizens
between the ages of 18 and 35 form 53.6 per cent of the eligible
voting population, while those between 36 to 114 years old
constitute 46.4 per cent.
The ministry began a media public
awareness campaign to encourage citizens to vote. Government
spokesperson Mohammad Adwan said the ministries of information and
interior will work jointly on the media drive. Adwan said media centers
will be set up in various parts of the country to ensure that
journalists have full and complete access to information.
Election
Polls:
The polls will be open from 7:00am
until 7:00 p.m., on June 17th, that in the event of any
delays, balloting could be extended by two hours.
The 1,415 voting centers will be
divided into 589 for males, 596 for females and 230 for both, and
the vote counting will be conducted at the same location. A total
of 4,102 ballot boxes (2,022 for males and 2,080 for females) will
be utilized.
“It is the first time that the
balloting and tabulation processes will be conducted in the same centers,”
said Minister Majali.
A higher committee headed by
Interior Minister Majali will oversee the voting, along with 12
committees representing the country's governorates and 45
subcommittees representing the total number of voting districts.
A special committee will distribute
the six seats recently introduced as a quota for women. The six
women candidates receiving the highest number of votes but losing
their bid for election in their district will be allocated seats in
the next Lower House.
Interior Minister Majali said 40,000
civil servants are working to prepare for the elections, for which
the government has allocated JD7 million and distributed 260
computers among the voting districts to ensure accuracy of the
results.
Related articles:
Reform & Development Strategy II Constitutional Evolution II
Political Reform & Democratization II
Jordanian Elections 2003 II
Parliamentary Affairs
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