06/04/2024

• The people of Irbid and its camp urge political parties to actively represent the views of Jordanian citizens on key national issues and emphasize the need for highly honest and transparent parliamentary elections.

With the participation of tens of activists from Irbid, the Al Quds Center for Political Studies organized a workshop as part of a series aimed at enhancing political participation, under the title 'Political Participation… Our Pathway to Strengthening Jordan and Supporting Palestine.' The workshop was held at the Irbid Camp Services Committee and featured Dr. Hameed Al Batayneh, President of the Jordanian Forum for Dialogue and Policies, and Mrs. Anaam Al-Asha, Executive Director of the Jordanian Women Solidarity Institute (Solidarity is Global Institute – JO).

Mr. Oraib Al Rantawi, the Director-General of the Al Quds Center, started the workshop by stressing the importance of regulated and consistent activism which can translate into institutionalized political participation, such as joining political parties and engaging in elections. He highlighted that such activism is one of the most significant forms of support for the Palestinian cause. Al Rantawi further emphasized that, despite its importance, merely expressing opinions through various means is not enough. He urged citizens to elect whoever aligns with their priorities and stances in decision-making positions, political parties and elected councils.

Mr. Rantawi also emphasized the necessity of walking down the path of political reform towards achieving parliamentary governments, considering the current sentiment of frustration. He described the upcoming elections as a crossroads that will either contribute to enhancing trust in the political process or be a reason for its decline.

In her speech, Al-Asha focused on the role of women and the necessity of enhancing their participation, underscoring participation and the significance of women's roles within families and society. She advocated for investing in these roles and strengthening them across all fields, working towards achieving equal opportunities for participation in decision-making. She highlighted the significant gap in women's representation within governments and elected councils, and called for reinforcing this representation.

Al Asha also noted the necessity of empowering women and encouraging their participation in the economic field. She brought attention to the fact that, despite the significant presence of women in higher education, where they comprise 53% of students, their participation in the economy remains low. For her, this underscores the need to reinforce women's role in the economic field.

On his part, Al Batayneh noted that Jordan and Palestine face the same challenges. Focusing on Jordan, he advocated for setting aside bigotry and loyalty to individuals in favor of strengthening the national identity of Jordan. He argued that this approach not only preserves civil society in Jordan but also prioritizes collective interests over those of smaller groups.

Al Batayneh further emphasized that the responsibility for increasing levels of participation is a collective one, shared among all actors. He identified the trust gap between the parliament and its citizens as a primary reason for the diminishing voter turnout. Al Batayneh urged political parties to develop realistic platforms that genuinely reflect the citizens needs and motivate their participation. Moreover, he highlighted the crucial role of encouraging the participation of women and youth, building their capacities and trusting them, stressing that broad participation is key to addressing issues and ensuring the success of reform.

Overall, the participants' interventions focused on calling for women to be given the necessary consideration in every sphere of life, including the political, economic, and social spheres. Furthermore, they emphasized the importance of reinforcing trust in the electoral process and giving special attention to ensuring high transparency and integrity in elections, to guarantee the success of the electoral process and rebuild trust in the elections. Participants also highlighted the significance of participation and its impact on producing strong representative councils capable of fulfilling their legislative and supervisory roles effectively.

Regarding partisan activism, participants underscored the necessity for political parties to maintain an effective presence in crucial national matters. They called on these parties to be more proactive in representing citizens' views and opinions on issues related to the country, its security, stability, and most of all the Palestinian cause.