Jordanian survival strategy: The election law as a ‘safety valve’

Abstract

Jordan has often been characterized as being in a perennial state of uncertainty. This uncertainty at times took on critical proportions, at other times it was more subdued. But it always called for tools of control, tools that confronted and controlled if necessary the perceived threats caused by internal and/or external realities. One such tool of control is the election law, which is the subject of this article. In June 2003, the long-postponed elections for Jordan's fourteenth legislature were convened. The previous parliament's term had expired in 2001, since then the new 'old' regime under King Abdullah II had delayed holding elections under various pretexts. Although King Abdullah has been known to be at least rhetorically an ardent supporter of democratic politics, he preferred on assuming the throne to continue the regressive path Jordan had reverted to a few years earlier. The first excuse for the delay of elections was that a new election law had to be devised. This new law raised the number of deputies from 80 to 104, and it raised the voter's age from 18 to 19. Thus it allows for demographic adjustment and population increase, but no structural change addressing the essence of the law has occurred. In May 2002 it was announced that the date for new elections would be in July, 'after the government has completed its preparations to make the elections according to transparency values ... and to run (them) with the highest standards of honesty and transparency'.' Later they were postponed until September, then they were set for Spring 2003 and, finally in June they actually took place. The reasons for postponement and the outcome of these elections will be analysed in the following. First, it is necessary to look into the development of the election law in Jordan and try to place the changes in the political atmosphere that was prevailing at the time. There have been various versions of the election law, some were only under discussion, others have actually been implemented. The election law in Jordan is one of the traditional tools that has been utilized by the regime in order to manipulate (control/predict) election results while at the same time retaining a semblance of democracy. Many factors are involved in drawing up and redrawing the electoral law the alleged loyalty of certain population groups, Jordan's involvement with the Palestinian issue and its past claim on representing the West Bank, but also the relative strength of certain political parties, the latest example being the Islamic Action Front (IAF), are some worth mentioning. In discussing the subsequent laws, I will not try to cover the topic comprehensively; rather the focus will be on selected instances that seem best to exemplify the case. In so doing, I will try to take account