Jordanian parliamentary election, 2003
Encyclopedia
Parliamentary elections were held in Jordan
on 17 June 2003. They were the fourth contest held after the political liberalization started in 1989 and the first elections to take place since 1997.
The number of voters who cast their ballots constituted almost 58.8 percent of registered voters, a record high in the last years, 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. The highest turnout, 86 percent, was registered in Karak
, while the lowest ratio of voters, 44.62 percent, was in Amman
.
found it adequate to defer the parliamentary elections, the Jordanian constitution
allows the monarch to postpone the elections for a maximum of two years.
The parliament was also solved by a Royal Decree in 2001.
Many parties and political figures found this law unfair.
The law reserves special ethnical quotas for Circassians, Chechens and Christians, the parliamentary seat distribution is shown in the following table:
Many women ran for the elections, but none won a seat over the special quota.
did not boycott the elections, as did other opposition parties.
Most candidates were independents of various tendencies, both non-partisans and tribal leaders.
was appointed as Spokesman of the House and 4 women were included in the upper house.
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
on 17 June 2003. They were the fourth contest held after the political liberalization started in 1989 and the first elections to take place since 1997.
The number of voters who cast their ballots constituted almost 58.8 percent of registered voters, a record high in the last years, 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. The highest turnout, 86 percent, was registered in Karak
Al Karak
Karak is a city in Jordan that is known for the famous crusader castle Kerak. The castle is one of the three largest castles in the region, the other two being in Syria...
, while the lowest ratio of voters, 44.62 percent, was in Amman
Amman
Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...
.
Political Climate in the Region
The elections were first scheduled for November 2001, but were delayed due to political instability in the region. In fact, the second Intifada started on September 28, 2000 and King AbdullahAbdullah II of Jordan
Abdullah II ibn al-Hussein is the reigning King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. He ascended the throne on 7 February 1999 after the death of his father King Hussein. King Abdullah, whose mother is Princess Muna al-Hussein, is a member of the Hashemite family...
found it adequate to defer the parliamentary elections, the Jordanian constitution
Constitution of Jordan
The Constitution of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan was adopted on January 11, 1952 and has been amended many times. It defines the hereditary monarchic rule with a parliamentary system of representation...
allows the monarch to postpone the elections for a maximum of two years.
The parliament was also solved by a Royal Decree in 2001.
Election Law
Elections Seats Scheme of 2003 was established under Election Law No.34 of 2001. It added six seats to women, lowered the voting age from 19 to 18, resized electoral districts raising their number from 20 to 45, and re-approved the one-person one-vote electoral system.Many parties and political figures found this law unfair.
The law reserves special ethnical quotas for Circassians, Chechens and Christians, the parliamentary seat distribution is shown in the following table:
| Governorate | Number of districts |
Muslim | Circassian or Chechens |
Christians | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amman Amman Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost... |
7 | 20 | 2 | 1 | 23 |
| Irbid Irbid Irbid , known in ancient times as Arabella or Arbela , is the capital and largest city of the Irbid Governorate. It also has the second largest metropolitan population in Jordan after Amman, with a population of around 660,000, and is located about 70 km north of Amman on the northern ridge of... |
9 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 16 |
| Balqa Balqa Balqa is one of the governorates of Jordan. It is located northwest of Amman, Jordan's capital.The governorate has the fourth largest population of the 12 governorates of Jordan, and is ranked 10th by Area... |
4 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 10 |
| Karak Al Karak Karak is a city in Jordan that is known for the famous crusader castle Kerak. The castle is one of the three largest castles in the region, the other two being in Syria... |
6 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 10 |
| Ma'an Ma'an Ma'an is a town in southern Jordan 218 km away from the capital Amman. It is the capital of Ma'an Governorate. Ma'an has a population of around 50,000. The city had a population of 22,989 in the 1992 census and is estimated as being about 50,000 as of 2007 according to the Ma'an Municipality... |
3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Zarqa Zarqa Az-Zarqāʔ is a city in Jordan located to the northeast of Amman. With a population of more than one million 1000,000. It is the country's second largest city after Amman. Zarqa is the capital of Zarqa Governorate . Its name means "the blue one".- Overview :Zarqa is Jordan's industrial centre, home... |
4 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| Mafraq Mafraq Mafraq is the capital city of Mafraq Governorate, Jordan, located 80 Km to the north from the Jordanian capital Amman in crossroad to Syria to the north and Iraq to the east. It has 58,954 inhabitants... |
1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Tafileh | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Madaba Madaba Madaba , is the capital city of Madaba Governorate of Jordan, which has a population of about 60,000. Madaba is the fifth most populous town in Jordan. It is best known for its Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics, especially a large Byzantine-era mosaic map of The Holy Land... |
2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Jerash Jerash Jerash, the Gerasa of Antiquity, is the capital and largest city of Jerash Governorate , which is situated in the north of Jordan, north of the capital Amman towards Syria... |
1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Ajloun Ajloun Ajloun also written Ajlun is the capital town of the Ajloun Governorate . A hilly town in the north of Jordan, located 76 kilometers north west of Amman. It is noted for its impressive ruins the 12th century castle which known nowadays as Ajlun Castle... |
2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Aqaba Aqaba Aqaba is a coastal city in the far south of Jordan, the capital of Aqaba Governorate at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba. Aqaba is strategically important to Jordan as it is the country's only seaport. Aqaba is best known today as a diving and beach resort, but industrial activity remains important... |
1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| North Bedouin Tribes | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Center Bedouin Tribes | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| South Bedouin Tribes | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Minimum Women Quota | 6 Nationally | ||||
| TOTALS | 45 | 92 | 3 | 9 | 110 |
Women Participation
A special quota system has been created to ensure women would be elected to the lower chamber, six seats were assigned at national level, i.e. the six women with the highest percentage nationwide won the six reserved seats.Many women ran for the elections, but none won a seat over the special quota.
Parties and Candidates
In 2003 elections, there were 765 candidates competing for the 110 seats. The major opposition party, the Islamic Action FrontIslamic Action Front
The Islamic Action Front is a political party in Jordan. It is the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan....
did not boycott the elections, as did other opposition parties.
Most candidates were independents of various tendencies, both non-partisans and tribal leaders.
Assembly of Senators
The number of Senators cannot be more than half of deputies, therefore 55 senators were constitutionally appointed by the king. Zaid al-RifaiZaid al-Rifai
Zaid al-Rifai in the city of Safed in Palestine is a former Prime Minister of Jordan.-Biography:He served as Prime Minister of Jordan twice and . His father, Sameer al-Rifai was also an important politician in Jordan and former prime minister...
was appointed as Spokesman of the House and 4 women were included in the upper house.