Lower House endorses political parties bill

AMMAN — The Lower House on Sunday passed the 2015 political parties law, banning prosecution of Jordanians for their partisan affiliations.

Under MPs' amendments to the reform-oriented law, Jordanians should enjoy their absolute constitutional and legal rights regardless of their memberships in political parties.

An overwhelming majority of MPs also kept a provision in the government's version of the law unchanged, stipulating financial support to political parties from the state budget to be disbursed according to a specific by-law.

The 150-strong House also granted political parties the right to have their own investments, which should "solely" be in the Kingdom provided that they are announced in periodical publications or media outlets.

According to the draft endorsed by lawmakers, political party headquarters are exempted from taxes or fines on immovable assets. 

Their headquarters can only be inspected under a ruling from the attorney general or in the case of a crime committed “in flagrante delicto”.

Moreover, deputies endorsed a provision giving political parties the right to rent out their headquarters to host various events but banned them from using places of worship to perform their activities. 

Political parties are not allowed to receive gifts, funding and cash donations from other countries and external agencies and are also prohibited from having organisational or financial affiliations with non-Jordanian organisations.

As amended by lawmakers, the law stipulates that each political party should have a by-law defining its name, logo and goals.

Under MPs’ amendments to the law, a political parties committee will be formed and headed by the secretary general of the Political and Parliamentary Affairs Ministry with members from the interior, justice and culture ministries, in addition to representatives of civil society organisations and the National Centre for Human Rights.