The parliamentary elections in Jordan were held on September 20, 2016 , at which deputies of the Jordanian National Assembly of the 18th convocation were elected. King of Jordan Abdullah II ibn Hussein dissolved the parliament on May 29, 2016 and appointed acting Prime Minister Hani Mulki instead of the resigned Abdullah Ensur .
← 2013  2019 → | |||
| Legislative Election in Jordan (2016) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | |||
| September 20 |
After the reforms of the electoral system in 2015, these elections were the first since the 1989 elections , which were primarily based on the principle of proportional representation . Prior to this, the system of a single intransitive vote was used , which systematically reduced the representation of Islamic parties after they won 22 out of 80 parliamentary seats in 1989. The elections were controlled by an Independent Electoral Commission with the participation of international observers.
The reforms influenced the decision of the opposition parties to participate in the elections, including the Islamic Front of Action (the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood organization), which advocated for reform in the National Coalition. The Jordanian government to reduce the influence of the Islamic Front of Action caused a split among the Muslim Brotherhood with the subsequent nationalization of their property. Hundreds of members who left the organization formed a new party, supposedly more moderate.
The National Coalition for Reform included Christians, Circassians and women. In general, the coalition received 15 seats, of which, however, only 10 belonged to the Islamic Action Front. 5 women passed the parliament in excess of the quota and, thus, the parliament was represented by 20 women [1] . The turnout was 37%, lower than in the previous elections in 2013 , which was explained by the impossibility of numerous (approx. 1 million) Jordanians abroad to vote under the new election law.
Elections
The election monitoring was attended by observers from a number of Arab and other foreign organizations, as well as from the European Union. [2]
The election involved 1252 candidates from 226 lists. 18 candidates refused to participate, and 21 candidates were not allowed to vote. Of the 1252 candidates, 920 were Muslim men, 245 Muslim women, 58 male Christians, 5 Christian women, 22 male Circassians and Chechens, 2 female Circassians and Chechen women. [3]
About 1.5 million voters participated in the elections, turnout was 37%. The total number of voters was about 4.1 million, which is 2.3 million higher than in the 2013 elections. However, about 1 million Jordanians abroad could not vote. [4] European observers declared the election transparent. [5]
The National Reform Coalition won 15 seats, although the Muslim Brotherhood was expected to receive from 20 to 30 seats in parliament. [6]
For the first time in the elections, the List Maam (Together) civic movement, advocating for a civil state, arose. It received the largest number of votes in the 3rd district of Amman . [7]
See also
- Jordanian National Assembly
Notes
- ↑ Muslim Brotherhood's Political Arm Wins Seats in Jordan's Parliament . The New York Times (September 22, 2016). Date of appeal September 23, 2016.
- ↑ EU to send team to observe parliamentary elections . The Jordan Times (July 28, 2016). Date of treatment September 10, 2016.
- ↑ 1,252 candidates run for elections via 226 tickets . The Jordan Times (September 10, 2016). Date of treatment September 11, 2016.
- ↑ Around 1.5 million cast ballots in parliamentary elections . The Jordan Times (September 20, 2016). Date of appeal September 23, 2016.
- ↑ European observers commend 'integrity, transparency' of elections . The Jordan Times (September 20, 2016). Date of appeal September 23, 2016.
- ↑ Jordan's Islamists hopeful about making electoral gains . Al Jazeera (September 20, 2016). Date of appeal September 23, 2016.
- ↑ Jordan election seen as small step toward democratic reform . AFP (September 20, 2016). Date of appeal September 23, 2016.