Legal compliance, transparency crucial for election legitimacy - IEC chairman

AMMAN — Chairman of the Independent Election Commission (IEC) Musa Maaytah said on Monday that election legitimacy depends on transparency, legal adherence, and public confidence in the results, which reinforce citizens' belief in the importance of their votes.

Maaytah made these remarks during a meeting organised by the Arab Women Organisation (AWO), in cooperation with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the Jordanian National Commission for Women (JNCW), the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

He stressed the importance of including all segments of society in the political process, underlining that empowering women is a crucial component of achieving democracy, development, and social justice.

Maaytah also emphasised that Jordan continues to make significant strides in empowering women, with female representation in the 20th Parliament reaching 27 per cent, demonstrating the country's ongoing commitment to enhancing women's political participation.

Secretary-General of the JNCW Maha Ali expressed pride in the increased representation of women in the Jordanian Parliament, which now stands at 19.6 per cent, the highest in the Kingdom’s history. 

She also emphasised that this milestone reflects the Royal vision of supporting women's roles across various sectors.

Ali also commended the IEC for its efforts to promote women's participation, particularly through the adoption of the definition of electoral violence against women and the establishment of mechanisms to address it.

Director of the "WoMENA" programme at GIZ Annette Funke commended Jordan's progress in promoting gender equality within the electoral process.