Cosmetic politics

The number of political parties in Jordan has been cut in half, but no change in Jordan's political scene is expected, Oula Farawati writes from Amman

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15 April was an unusual day for political life in Jordan. It saw the number of political parties cut from 37 to 16, in accordance with a controversial political parties law enacted by the government and approved by parliament.

Twenty-three political parties were dissolved; they represented a majority of centrist parties and some leftist and national parties and thus the "moderates" were the "biggest losers" from the law, which stipulated that each party must have at least 500 founding members from five different governorates with equal representation. The previous law set the number of founders at 50 from any part of the kingdom. Jordan's political parties were given a grace period of one year to comply with the new rules.

The past year saw parties struggling to enrol members in a society that has been plagued by apathy towards political participation. According to the Jordan Centre for Social Research, 98.3 per cent of Jordanians have never belonged to a political party.

Secretary-General of the centrist National Constitutional Party Ahmed Shunnaq believes political parties in Jordan have entered a new era that stipulates better programmes and activities. His party is preparing for a conference under the theme of "a new beginning" that will be a chance for it to restructure its activities on all levels.

Another centrist political party Al-Risala has set its priorities at "reinforcing its political programme and focussing on means of bettering the lives of Jordanians in this difficult economic situation," Al-Risala Secretary-General Hazem Qashou said.

The government's move did not pass without dissent. Many here believe that the law was actually unconstitutional because it contradicts Article 16 of the Jordanian constitution that places no stipulations on the establishment of political parties, except being founded for peaceful reasons and carry out their activities using legal tools.

The law's prerequisites are seen by many activists and political parties as factors that will further prevent Jordanians from actively engaging in politics, and deal a blow to all pledges of reform made by consecutive governments.

Political freedoms according to the National Coalition of Political Parties, which groups 13 parties, will be further harmed with such a law that "will weaken Jordanians' confidence in political life".

However, the government argues the legislation was introduced following extensive consultation with activists and that it is meant to bolster political parties and increase their penetration into Jordanian society.

It is unlikely this new law will do much to galvanise political life in Jordan, with citizens still struggling to come to terms with martial law and the pre-1989 era, which saw people suspected of engaging in political activities arrested by the authorities and detained without charges for prolonged periods.

"I don't think political participation in Jordan will develop in the current circumstances. Both political parties and the government are to blame," political analyst Majid Tobeh said.

Tobeh believes political life in Jordan will only improve with an election law that reinforces parties' representation. The one-man, one-vote elections system introduced in 1997 pressures Jordanians into voting for a family member and cuts any chance for a politically-diverse lawmakers' assembly, he said.

"The relative-list elections law should be changed in order to develop strong political parties that compete on a programmatic basis," he said.

Political parties in Jordan are also to blame: for years, they have failed to present citizens with organised programmes and clear structures and were unsuccessful in enrolling youth and women. Tobeh sees those parties, with the exception of the Islamic Action Front, as social clubs with no concrete political power.

"They are still adamant on using the policy of talking without reaching out to citizens and knowing their needs, especially the masses, who need political parties that speak to their day-to-day concerns," he said.

Meanwhile, along with the new rules, the government has allowed for state funding for political parties. This year's government budget allocates JD5 million ($7.5 million) for political parties. However, no details are available yet on how funding will be dispersed.

Shunnaq believes funding should be granted to parties that have complied with the law to enable each to open offices in each of the five governorates. "This should be made with no government stipulations and without parties being obliged to work within the government's orders," he said.

Qashou believes a special committee should be formed to put into place a mechanism for dispersing the funding. Bonuses should be given for parties that are successful in attracting women and youth members, he said.

The government should have announced the details of funding along with the new law, according to Tobeh. "The government said it was presenting limitations and perks. They only went ahead with the first and everybody is still in the dark about the latter," he said.

These changes to Jordan's political scene will all be cosmetic, according to analysts, unless concrete steps are taken by the government and the parties themselves to regain citizens' confidence in political life.