• Activists from Al Zarqa express that the ongoing state of abstention will lead to negative outcomes, emphasizing the importance of widespread participation to create a strong parliament. They call for increased partisan awareness to help citizens choose the political party that best reflects their priorities and represents them in Parliament.

With the participation of approximately 60 activists from the Tira People’s Association, the Al Quds Center for Political Studies organized a dialogue session titled “The 2024 Elections: Towards a Parliament Based on Multipartism.” The dialogue, which took place seven days before Election Day, featured former Member of Parliament Mr. Sameer Oweis and legal activist Lawyer Fatima Qossad.

The meeting began with welcoming remarks from Al Quds Center’s executive director, Ms. Hala Salem, during which she emphasized that one of the reasons this meeting is being held in Al Zarqa is the low level of participation in the region. According to data shared by the Independent Election Commission, Al Zarqa is among the constituencies with the lowest levels of participation, which is why the center focuses on it. Salem further noted that seven meetings preceded this one in the governorate of Al Zarqa as part of the National Campaign to Encourage Participation and Reduce Abstention. She then pointed out that the number of electoral lists in the local constituency has reached 11, indicating an improvement in the electoral movement compared to previous years, stressing that producing a multipartite parliament requires massive and widespread participation in the elections.

In this context of multipartism, Salem stressed the necessity of understanding the political and ideological orientations of parties to choose the appropriate electoral lists. Al Quds Center then distributed a map of political parties to the participants, which it had prepared based on their platforms and documents.

During her intervention, Lawyer Fatima Qossad focused on raising awareness about terms related to democracy and its requirements. She shed light on the Jordanian constitution, describing it as one of the most important legal references that determines the roles and competencies of the state’s institutions. She explained that the political system in Jordan is based on three components: the monarchy, the cabinet (which represents the executive authority), and the National Assembly, composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives, which represents the legislative authority. Qossad highlighted that the nation is the source of authority, which it exercises by choosing its representatives in parliament.

Qossad emphasized the importance of participating in the elections, as the political situation both domestically and regionally requires the election of a strong parliament capable of addressing the challenges facing Jordan. She outlined that the significance of elections lies in shaping public opinion and expressing the people's will, as well as in preserving democracy.

Mr. Sameer Oweis began his speech by outlining the regional environment, what is happening in Palestine, and its consequences for the region. He stressed the significance of participating in the elections and choosing a parliament capable of fulfilling its essential roles both on the domestic and international levels. He further explained that selecting a highly qualified parliament will help protect Jordan from Zionist claims and reinforce the principle of authority independence.

Regarding political modernization, Oweis emphasized that there has been a consistent weakness on the part of governments over the years in implementing the royal visions for political reform. He pointed out that this weakness in application has led to a growing phenomenon of abstention from participating in elections, particularly in major cities (Irbid, the capital, and Zarqa). He noted that voting rates in villages and peripheral areas are relatively high for social reasons

Oweis called for strengthening efforts that would demonstrate what he described as goodwill and promote a culture of dialogue and acceptance of diversity, in order to enhance participation amid factors that may affect its rates and the ongoing lack of trust among citizens. He concluded his remarks by emphasizing that the focus on service-oriented deputies has contributed to undermining the essential roles of deputies in oversight and legislation.

The participants’ remarks centered on feelings of frustration and distrust regarding the political parties’ experience and the activity surrounding it prior to the elections. They recalled the parliament of 1989, while simultaneously urging the necessity of engaging and participating to choose the most qualified representatives for Jordanians. They emphasized the need to address the challenges facing the political parties’ experience, particularly regarding the candidate selection process and the lack of viable, actionable programs. They affirmed the need for a strong parliament capable of supporting Jordanian political positions.

In this context, the participants stressed that abstention will lead to negative outcomes, highlighting the importance of promoting partisan culture. A large part of citizens remains unaware of much about political parties, and the security-oriented perspective of political parties still persists. Participants emphasized the crucial role of the media in this regard, particularly Jordanian television, in providing educational programs about parties and their role in political life in Jordan. Several participants expressed their conviction that black money remains a phenomenon in electoral campaigns and that current laws are insufficient to deter the spread of this issue.

The President of the Public Relations Committee at the Tira’s people Association, Mr. Hassan Al-Tirawi, moderated the discussion. He started the session by welcoming the participants, emphasizing that the parliamentary elections represent the main event in the Jordanian landscape due to their impact on the future of Jordanians. He called for the necessity of engaging and participating in order to choose a parliament that will represent Jordanians’ voices for the upcoming period.