A joint international election observer delegation of the International Republican Institute (IRI) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) today announced that Jordan’s September 20, 2016 elections took place in a largely peaceful atmosphere and were efficiently organized. Election officials were well trained and professional. Domestic election observers and candidate agents were present in most polling places. While there were issues, most voters were able to cast votes without any significant impediment. “While there were isolated problems, most voters were able to exercise their rights. NDI, IRI, and other international organizations will use the mission findings as benchmarks for ongoing work with the Independent Election Commission, political parties, the government, and the parliament to help as they work to increase the levels of transparency and effectiveness in the political process,” Atifete Jahjaga, delegation co-leader and former president of Kosovo said.

The Independent Election Commission (IEC) appeared to have the resources and freedom necessary to conduct a successful election, and the delegation congratulates the people of Jordan for expressing their political preferences and choosing their representatives to the national legislature. “In a region beset by instability and conflict, and in a part of the world where democratic rights and norms are often diminished or ignored, the leadership of Jordan has demonstrated that it is possible to allow peaceful expression of opinion and political choice even in the presence of security pressures, a refugee crisis and unstable neighbors,” John Sununu, delegation co-leader and former United States senator said.

Political and technical improvements in the 2016 elections included:

• The replacement of the one-person one-vote system as a result of advocacy campaigns conducted by civil society;
• In contrast to previous elections, no major political factions boycotted the 2016 polls;
• Automatic voter registration, based on the national civil status database, which increased the number of eligible voters who could participate in the electoral process;
• Increased technical safety features for ballots and streamlined election day procedures;
• More efficient and standardized training of polling center staff;
• Communication by the IEC on election day, including the timely announcing of turnout figures;
• Additional efforts by the IEC to make polling centers more accessible;
• Increasing the franchise by permitting polling officials and civilian employees of the security forces to vote; and
• In most cases, the conduct of security officials at polling centers was professional and within their mandate.

In cases where the delegation observed problems on election day, most were quickly addressed by polling officials or the IEC.

Shortcomings remain, such as:

• Although the election law prohibits campaigning within 200 meters of polling places, this restriction is routinely flouted. Active campaigning was observed directly outside many polling stations – and in some cases, campaign materials were observed inside;
• Secrecy of the vote was not always ensured, as observers noted numerous instances of “public voting”, where voters declared their allegiance or displayed their votes;
• While polling station staffs willingly provided assistance to persons with disabilities once in the polling station, many polling locations had very limited access to persons with disabilities; and
• The counting process was slow in some polling stations because the longer ballot required by the new election system and the fact that voters could cast multiple votes complicated the counting process. The longer process of counting and verification postponed the announcement of some results 24 hours longer than past elections.

It remains to be seen whether the new law and the political system in practice will fully reflect the statements of King Abdullah and his government who have called for an empowered parliament, effective, policy-centric political parties and a politically engaged citizenry. Achieving these goals will require that the results of the parliamentary election have a direct relationship to the composition of the government, providing an environment of greater political competition and democratic incentives to which parties and candidates could respond.   

See below for full preliminary statements

English version

النسخة العربية

For more information, please contact Julia Sibley ([email protected]) in Washington, DC. Ramsey Day ([email protected]) or Arianit Shehu ([email protected]) in Amman, Jordan.