Arab network for youth in elections launched

AMMAN — Deputising for HRH Crown Prince Hussein, Senate President Faisal Fayez on Tuesday attended the launch ceremony of the Arab network for youth in elections, which is organised by the Independent Election Commission (IEC) in cooperation with the Organisation of Arab Electoral Management Bodies (ArabEMBs). 

Fayez conveyed the Crown Prince's greetings during the event, which is the first of its kind in the Arab region, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The Senate president said that His Majesty King Abdullah, since assuming his Constitutional powers, has adopted the reform motto in all fields and has provided a strong political will for the reform process. 

Fayez reviewed some of these achievements of reform, starting with the first Constitutional amendments in 2011, which resulted in the establishment of the Constitutional Court and the Judicial Council. 

These amendments also boosted the work of Parliament and the judiciary, and witnessed the establishment of the IEC to supervise parliamentary elections, he added.  

IEC Chief Commissioner Mousa Maaytah said that there is a duty to unleash the power of the youth, especially since the present and future are bound to the ambitions of young people, and it is necessary to open new horizons to them in order to build strong societies.

Maaytah said that the youth today enjoy knowledge in miscellaneous sciences after the ICT revolution and the age of globalisation gave them access to various types of knowledge.

ArabEMBs President Halima Ismail said that launching this network is intended to develop the political capabilities of many young people and spur their engagement with political and electoral work. 

UNDP Resident Representative in Jordan Randa Abu Al Hosn said that elections for UNDP are the cornerstone of the programme's work in the field of democratic governance and peace building, and that Goal 16 in the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals urges stakeholders to consider youth participation as a main component of political effort rather than a secondary one.