New POMED Policy Brief: “Jordan’s Unfinished Journey: Parliamentary Elections and the State of Reform”

In POMED’s latest policy brief, “Jordan’s Unfinished Journey: Parliamentary Elections and the State of Reform,” Curtis Ryan, associate professor of political science at Appalachian State University in North Carolina, writes, “On January 23, 2013, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan held its latest round of parliamentary elections. Expectations among many in the opposition were low, and indeed the Muslim Brotherhood and its affiliated party, the Islamic Action Front, boycotted the elections entirely. These elections, they argued, would be no better than the last few, which had been marred by widespread allegations of fraud. Besides the Islamist movement, Jordan has seen a rise in opposition in locally-based Hirak or popular movements, often rooted in East Jordanian communities previously regarded as core elements of regime support. Like the Islamists, and some leftist parties, most of these newer Hirak opposition movements also boycotted the elections.”

See below for the highlights of the brief:

-Despite efforts on the part of the Jordanian government to favorably portray its commitment to reform, a perception gap on the process and pace of transition to a constitutional monarchy persists.

-Recent parliamentary elections, heralded by the monarchy as a significant step in a broader reform initiative have been cast by the Kingdom’s critics as an insignificant response to popular demand for greater participation in the democratic process.

-That response has included certain efforts to combat electoral fraud – foremost among which was the creation of an Independent Electoral Commission – but the extremely unequal distribution of seats, combined with boycotts by major opposition parties, has meant that the new parliament largely resembles its predecessors, with similar loyalties and little authority.

-In every aspect of its engagement with Jordan, the U.S. government should increase its focus on domestic political reform, articulating in clear and consistent terms the importance of empowering parliament, rectifying imbalances in the electoral system, fostering free speech and ensuring that political representation more accurately reflects Jordan’s electorate.