Parties prepare for local administration elections

The Secretary-General of the Reform Party, lawyer Hossam Hussein Al-Khasawneh, said that the upcoming municipal elections represent an important milestone for rebuilding trust between parties and citizens and opening direct channels of communication with them. He noted that municipalities are closest to the citizens, and through them, the impact of partisan work in improving services, achieving development, and providing job opportunities can be measured.

He added that the role of parties is to present qualified candidates and realistic local programs, organize popular participation, build alliances, and follow up on the performance of their representatives after winning, which enhances accountability and turns political presence into tangible achievements.

He explained that the Reform Party has decided to participate in the elections, formed a special committee for them, and opened the door for nominations, provided that candidates are evaluated according to criteria of competence, integrity, and the ability to serve the community. The party is working on holding meetings with candidates to discuss the priorities of their regions and their programs, and activating its branches in the governorates to support them in the field and introduce citizens to their programs.

Al-Khasawneh indicated that the party seeks to benefit from its previous experience in local administration, given the presence of mayors and municipal council members within its ranks, stressing the importance of continued institutional support for candidates after the elections and following up on the winners' commitment to their pledges.

Regarding the Local Administration Bill, he stated that the party prepared a position paper following dialogue sessions in the governorates to listen to citizens' opinions and needs, noting that one of its most prominent demands is allocating seats for parties in elected councils, similar to partisan representation in the House of Representatives.

He stressed the need to ensure equal opportunities in accessing voters and media outlets, clarity of nomination, campaigning, and funding procedures, training candidates on local administration, budgets, planning, and oversight, and encouraging the participation of youth and women. He pointed out that the election results will affect the organizational strength of the parties and their chances in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

For his part, the Secretary-General of the Mubadara Party, Dr. Mohammad Abu Hudaib, said that the upcoming local administration elections are considered one of the most prominent electoral events after the recent parliamentary elections, expecting that parties will contest them with all their capabilities to strengthen their presence and improve their image among citizens.

He added that the elections represent an opportunity to confirm that political modernization and partisan participation have become an integral part of the electoral process in the Kingdom, noting that the party began its preparations early by forming committees at the center and in various governorates to study participation opportunities, candidates, and achieving the best results.

He explained that local administration represents the first link in the chain of democracy, and that municipal and service work constitutes an essential part of the party's philosophy and vision, stressing the importance of moving from political presence to direct work in local communities through programs that respond to citizens' priorities and enhance the efficiency of services.

In turn, the Secretary-General of the Taghyeer Party, Dr. Fawzan Al-Baqour, said that the upcoming municipal elections are an important national entitlement and a fundamental milestone in the path of political modernization. However, he believed that the new Local Administration Law did not bring about a fundamental shift in enhancing partisan participation and did not provide sufficient legislative tools to translate the goals of modernization into a tangible reality.

Al-Baqour expected the continued influence of tribal, regional, and personal considerations in electoral competition, to a greater degree than partisan affiliations and programs, stressing the importance of a gradual transition to voting based on programs, competence, and the ability to achieve results.

He pointed out that the Jordanian partisan experience is still in the building phase and has not yet reached the level of maturity that enables parties to rely on their organizational and programmatic bases alone, noting that the performance of parties in the current House of Representatives will reflect on citizens' trust in partisan candidates in the upcoming elections. He explained that the Taghyeer Party is studying participation options through its branches in the governorates and is working to attract competencies and societal figures capable of presenting realistic service and development programs, in addition to discussing alliances that align with its orientations. He emphasized that political modernization is not complete just by the presence of parties on ballot papers, but when partisan programs become the basis for choosing citizens' representatives in the House of Representatives and municipal councils.

The positions of the three parties intersect on the importance of developing institutional work and preparing candidates capable of presenting realistic programs and following up on their implementation, while the divergence remains regarding the sufficiency of current legislation to enhance partisan representation and consolidate competition based on programs and competence.