Elections in Jordan
The electoral system favours rural tribes and those of East Bank origin over urban areas that are primarily inhabited by those of Palestinian descent.
Even after Jordan gained independence in 1946, British influence caused elections to be held under block voting.
This lasted until general elections were reintroduced in 1989 after unrest over price hikes spread in southern Jordan.
The 1989 general election under block voting saw opposition Islamist parties win 22 out of 80 seats in the House of Representatives.
[1] Compared to other Arab monarchies, Jordan is relatively pluralistic, with a tolerance for political and social opposition.
[4] Nonetheless, the monarchy retains ultimate political control, as it is imbued with wide executive and legislative authority, leading the King's royal court and advisers exercising more power than parliament.
[5] The King appoints a Prime Minister and Cabinet from the lower house, but is not required to consult parliament on his choice or choose based on the largest parties.
The state is dominated by East Bankers and they form the core of monarchical support, whereas Jordanian Palestinians have little political representation and are systematically discriminated against.
Article 6 prohibits discrimination on the basis of religion, race and language, but notably makes no provisions for gender.
Nonetheless, women obtained the right to vote in 1974, and quotas for parliamentary participation were introduced in 2003 and have increased since then, and currently each of the 12 governorates has one reserved seat, and each of the three “badia” electoral areas also has one, for a total of 15.
[3] Some smaller tribes who cannot reliably win normal seats also take advantage of the quota by nominating female representatives.
Those who are bankrupt or mentally disabled are not allowed to vote, and there have historically been no provisions to help absentee or special needs voters.
After this point party activity continued underground, and was expressed through other forms such as labour unions and professional organisations.
[9] The monarchy's firm control over the political process was maintained until an economic crash in the late 1980s caused protests, even among East Bankers.
[10] Out of the 80 seas, the majority were won by opposition parties, including Islamists, secular leftists, and pan-Arab nationalists.
[6] In order to suppress future Islamist votes, King Hussein instituted a new system prior to the 1993 elections.
[10] Under the new system, the country was divided into 45 electoral districts, again providing disproportionate influence to rural East Bank communities while side-lining urban and Palestinian areas.
[7] Well-connected local individuals were able to gain electoral heft at the expense of national parties, and most independent MPs were conservative members of the state.
On 20 May 2010 he approved a new electoral law, which stated that the election would be overseen by judges and punishing those buying and selling votes.
The government claimed it would reduce tribalism, but analysts noted it would worsen the situation, with candidates dividing subdistricts between them prior to the elections.
[6] Thus insider candidates with privileged access to government had an advantage,[2] although some felt that given their organisation Islamists may have benefitted to a slight extent.
[2] Grievances brought on by two decades of political and social stagnation, and in some cases backsliding on reforms, emerged as part of the wider protests during the Arab Spring.
[2] Unrest led to King Abdullah II to frequently change government, with five prime ministers being in power over the two years subsequent to the beginning of the protests.
[3] Institutional reluctance to reform was compounded by disagreements among reformists on the correct path forward, as well as caution regarding radical change due to the deteriorating situations in other Arab Spring affected countries, especially considering pre-existing East Bank-Palestinian domestic tensions.
[3] This, combined with the constitutional changes being mostly cosmetic, meant once Parliament was dissolved on 4 October 2013, the IAF and other opposition parties decided to boycott the elections.
Furthermore, the government expressed that all licensed parties were part of Jordan's political fabric, explicitly mentioning the IAF.
It fully eliminated one-man one-vote, restoring the block system whereby voters had votes equal to the number of seats in their district.
[11] The election is set for 20 September 2016, and will again be run by the IEC, who are providing for the first time provisions for deaf and blind voters.
[21] The IAF, despite being the political wing of the original and now-illegal Muslim Brotherhood, is registered as a Jordanian organisation and remains legal.
Some municipalities further required deposits to ensure candidates cleaned up campaigning materials after the election, although this was not general enforced.
