AMMAN — The European Union Election Observation Mission to Jordan (EU EOM) on Thursday released its preliminary statement on the recent parliamentary elections, providing an assessment on the country’s electoral process.
The statement included EU EOM observations on the transparency of the election process that took place in September 10, an assessment of the technical aspects of the elections, the efficiency of election management, the process of registering candidates and parties, along with its assessment of the inclusion of women, youth and people with disabilities.
According to the statement, over 1.6 million Jordanian voters participated. The elections were conducted with a high level of organisation, whereas the Independent Election Commission (IEC) ensured elections proceeded smoothly and on schedule, highlighting the country’s commitment to democratic processes.
“Despite the uncertainty caused by the ongoing war in Gaza, Jordan demonstrated its commitment to the electoral process.” said Zeljana Zovko, the head of the European Union Election Observation Mission.
She further lauded the organisation of the elections at a press conference which was held in Amman on Thursday, and during which she presented the mission’s preliminary findings.
According to Zovko, EU observers visited 622 polling stations across all electoral districts to monitor voting and counting procedures. In addition, EU EOM observers worked throughout the night.
Further, Zovko praised the professionalism of the election officials and the calm atmosphere that was present at polling stations. Noting that “Election day was peaceful and well-managed,”
However, some negative campaign activities were observed near polling centers, despite legal restrictions on election day campaigning.
From a legal perspective, she affirmed that the Kingdom’s electoral framework is largely consistent with its international commitments, particularly with the 2022 Election Law and the Political Parties Law. These laws aim to enhance the role of political parties in parliament over the next three electoral cycles, marking a key milestone in Jordan’s political modernization efforts
The statement also showed that despite many positive measures, there still remain a number of challenges in areas like campaign funding and the media environment.
The statement underlined the various observations made by EU EOM observers.
The EU EOM was present in the Kingdom since July 29. The mission was invited to observe elections by the IEC.
The EU EOM is independent from any EU institutions or Member States and is committed to remain impartial, abiding by the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation and its Code of Conduct, as well as by the laws of Jordan, according to an EU EOM statement.
