Jordan: Recommendations on new electoral commission
The National Centre for Human Rights has developed a set of recommendations for the government to consider as it prepares to establish an independent body to oversee and administer elections.
Photo by Wayan Vota, Flickr Creative Commons
The National Centre for Human Rights (NCHR) has developed a set of recommendations for the government to consider as it prepares to establish an independent body to oversee and administer elections, the Jordan Times reports.
Participants in a two-day workshop organised by the NCHR last month said the establishment of an electoral oversight body will be a milestone in the Kingdom's political reform process, but steps must be taken to ensure its integrity, impartiality and independence, according to a NCHR statement.
Article 67 of the amended Constitution states that "an independent body shall be established to oversee the electoral process and run its various implementation stages in addition to overseeing any other elections decided by the Government".
Workshop participants, which included experts from Palestine and Ireland, emphasised that the electoral commission must meet standards of impartiality and transparency.
Their recommendations underlined the need for the law establishing the electoral commission to clearly determine the qualifications that must be met by its members and to grant them the jurisdiction to elect their own leadership.
Moreover, its members must enjoy administrative and financial independence to ensure that they can fulfil their duties without interference.
“The chairman and members of the electoral body should be granted the same immunity granted to judges in the judiciary system, including protection against any attempt to suspend or terminate their membership except for legal reasons determined exclusively by law,” the NCHR’s statement said.
Other recommendations included that the electoral commission be composed of 13 members, with six-year terms subject to renewal, and be responsible for: preparing and announcing the schedule for all phases of the election process; voter registration and preparation of voter lists; approval and consideration of all nominations; and accreditation of local, regional and international observers.
Date: 4 November 2011
