Photo: cityscape of Jerash, city north of Amman – Flickr
On September 10th, Jordan held its first parliamentary elections since major reforms in the electoral system and also since the beginning of the current Israel-Gaza conflict. As a neighboring country, Jordan has been diplomatic toward both sides, but the situation in the region has both social and political impact. Additionally, political reforms were implemented in the Hashemite kingdom in 2022, with the goal of giving more influence to political parties in parliament, and limiting the power of candidates with strong support from influential tribal groups. How did these events affect Jordan’s 2024 elections?
Governance lacks representation
To begin, we summarize the context of Jordanian politics. Currently, Jordan’s form of government is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy, which means that the monarch, in this case King Abdullah II, has broad political power. The king is able to pass or veto laws and decisions and appoint all 69 members of the Upper House and ministers. The 138 members of the lower house of parliament are chosen by the people, through elections.
This is the stage for the people to voice their opinions and vote in the hope that their interests will be represented. However, there is little enthusiasm about elections because most of the seats in the House of Representatives are occupied by delegates from rural districts. Representatives from these areas are overrepresented compared to urban areas. Moreover, they are propelled in the current political system by their strong ties to Jordan’s integral tribal society and their loyalty to the monarchy.
From 30 to 41 seats for political parties
So far, then, tribal-related, centrist and pro-government MPs have prevailed in parliament, while Islamist and liberal opponents, who gain support mainly in the big cities, have been left behind. Due to this reason, reforms were introduced in 2022, which saw the gradual increase of seats in the House of Representatives earmarked for political parties from 30 to 41, allowing political parties to have a greater impact. A reform was also implemented that lowered the threshold for small political parties to win seats in local constituencies, creating more competition. In addition, the reforms aimed to bring more women and young people into the political system, by introducing quotas for political parties that at least one woman must be among the first three candidates and at least one candidate under 35 must occupy a spot among the first five candidates.
Jordan has been gradually democratizing its electoral system for decades, and the reforms two years ago are part of a long-term plan for a healthy multiparty system and a greater role for political parties.
Jordan’s delicate balancing act
Jordan has 31 registered political parties, only a few of which are of serious size. This is partly because the king holds extraordinary power and the state sometimes suppresses parties, and additionally because the political system is still evolving. The only political party that plays a real role in the legislature is the Islamic Action Front (IAF), the largest opposition party and political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan. They have been expressing their support for Palestine for years, seeking to reduce normalization with Israel, stand for the creation of a Palestinian state and have organized several protests in support of this as well.
Jordan has had to maintain a balance between the two sides since the conflict between Israel and Gaza, which broke out on October 7th, and for years before that. And even now, Jordan has maintained its strategic and diplomatic relations with Israel and the West, by shooting Iranian missiles out of the sky en route to Israel, while at the same time the king publicly calls for aid troops to enter the area and lobbies for a cease-fire. But is this middle line enough to keep the population happy?
Rise of Islamists in Jordanian parliament
About half of the country’s population is made up of people with roots in Palestine. Jordan is the only country in the region that has accepted Palestinians as citizens after forced displacement from their homeland, such as during the 1948 Nakba and ongoing successive wars, causing them to flee to neighboring countries. Jordan therefore has a large number of citizens of Palestinian descent and many (recent) Palestinian refugees living mostly in the major cities. This group was therefore also expected, and has shown, to have a clear voice in support for their homeland, which is what the IAF stands for. On top of this, concerns about the economic state of the country were also reasons to vote for a party that is not pro-government and advocates major changes in the social and political landscape. Indeed, unemployment was 21 percent in the first quarter of 2024, and with the current conflict in neighboring countries, the lucrative tourism sector, which makes up 14 percent of GDP, has been significantly reduced.
The combination of democratic reforms, anger over the monarchy’s moderate stance towards Israel and economic problems have driven many voters to vote for a party that could bring about change. In the last election, as expected, the IAF became the largest party, tripling its representation from 10 seats in 2020 to 31 out of 41 in 2024. A historic outcome for the party that, according to Murad Adailah, leader of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan, is a result of the desire for change: ”Those who voted for us were not necessarily all Islamists, but wanting change, and had become fed up with the old ways.”
Democracy one step closer
As expected, the war in Gaza had a major impact on the outcome of the elections with increasing support for the Islamists. With more influential political parties and a better reflection of society and public opinion in politics, Jordanian democracy is in full swing after a period of stagnation. It is hoped that Jordan’s system and political culture will be able to maintain this development.
Written by: Isabel Freie