Al Quds Center for Political Studies organized a dialogue session titled 'The 2024 Elections: Enhacing Participation and Reducing Abstention' at the Salameh Association for Social Development Hall. The meeting gathered 72 participants and featured Dr. Ahmad Asha, Member of Parliament, and Mr. Oraib Al Rantawi, Director General of the Al Quds Center for Political Studies. .

The President of the Administrative Commission of the Association, Mr. Salem Saqer, opened the meeting with welcoming remarks. During his speech, he introduced the village of Salameh, located in the District of Jaffa, and highlighted that its community numbers over 90,000 people. He emphasized their attachment to the right of return and called for massive participation in the upcoming elections. In this context, he noted that some countries impose sanctions and penalties on citizens who abstain from voting. He urged the audience to make informed choices when electing members of Parliament, describing it as a national duty that cannot be overlooked. Dr. Yahia Al Qabali then moderated the discussion.

In his intervention, Dr. Asha, the Member of Parliament, discussed the role of the 90th Parliament in endorsing legislation related to political reform and modernization, including, most notably, the constitutional amendments and the political parties and elections' laws. He emphasized that this role will be discussed further, its effect will become apparent in the future, considering that the Parliament has been actively involved in economic, political, and administrative reforms and modernization efforts. 

Regarding participation, Dr. Asha emphasized that it is the duty of every citizen, both on a legislative and moral level, to block the path of those who use dark money and vote-buying to reach the Parliament. On political parties' participation, he highlighted the importance of ideological and political criteria, considering them the most crucial factors in choosing the right political party.

The Director of the Al-Quds Center for Political Studies began his intervention by addressing the Palestinian issue and the Israeli war on Gaza, emphasizing that the developments in the Palestinian cause have a direct impact on Jordan and its stability, especially in light of the solutions promoted by the Israeli right wing for the Palestinian cause at Jordan's expense. This, he stated, necessitates strengthening and fortifying the internal front and enhancing national unity, particularly given the developments in the region that are shaping a new history, as he described it. This can be achieved through active participation and the election of a strong parliament that represents all parts of society.

Regarding participation's forms, Al-Rantawi emphasized that active participation is not limited to voting. He explained that it continues four years through involvement in political parties, associations, public activism, and expressing opinions through social media. It also involves evaluating and monitoring the performance of parliamentarians throughout the legislative term. In the same context, Al-Rantawi stressed that high voter turnout would contribute to combating vote-buying practices and help produce an effective Parliament, underlining the importance and role of the Parliament in the political system.

Regarding political partie' participation, Al-Rantawi emphasized that the history of political parties is not recent, as partisan life has existed since the establishment of the Emirate of Transjordan. He called on citizens to join political parties and to establish new ones if they believe the existing parties do not represent their aspirations.

On their turn, the participants' interventions and questions focused on the mechanisms and ways to encourage citizens to head to the polls on election day, as well as how to run for elections. The discussions revealed a lack of clarity regarding the technical aspects related to the electoral law and the division of electoral constituencies. There was a particular emphasis on expanding electoral constituencies and its impact on the conduct and results of the elections. Participants also stressed the importance of strengthening the legislative and oversight role of MPs and reducing the influence of the service-oriented aspect on their core responsibilities.

Participants also assessed the performance of the current Parliament, highlighting several issues related to its legislative role, such as the Geater Amman Municipality Law and the CEDAW agreement. The discussion provided an opportunity to clarify various aspects of both of these topics.