Amman: Minister of Political and Parliamentary Affairs Haditha Al-Khuraisha called for voting and evaluating candidates for the elections scheduled for September 10 on the basis of their programmes rather than their personalities.
During a dialogue session organised by Middle East University on the environment for political and party work, the Chairman of the University’s Board of Trustees, Senator Dr. Yaaoub Nasereddin, the President of the University, Prof. Salam Al-Mahadeen, and university students discussed the importance of involving women and youth in political and party work. They emphasised that these groups should not be merely formal participants but rather active agents of change, with the responsibility of promoting candidates with viable programmes.
The Minister underscored that legislation is supportive in principle of youth and women, but that it is ultimately up to the youth themselves and women to support themselves in the upcoming elections, whether in terms of candidacy or participation in voting.
Responding to students’ questions about holding elections in light of the security situation in the region, Al-Khuraisha said: “The implementation of the constitutional right to hold elections in light of the Israeli aggression on Gaza and the security situation in the region shows that the Jordanian state is serious about implementing its rights, and this is proof of the strength of the state’s institutions.”
Al-Khuraisha explained that the Jordanian state, under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah II, is firmly on the path of political modernisation, and that this path is irreversible because His Majesty is the first guarantor of these outputs, and the constitution is a key guarantor of these outputs, as it has fortified the election and party laws, as amendments to the articles of these laws can only be made in the presence of two-thirds of the members of the House of Representatives.
Al-Khuraisha addressed the students, stating: “It would be wise to direct our collective energies towards the path of joining programme parties that rely on programmes and implementable plans, rather than the path of closed political salons.”
The discussion papers of His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein set forth a framework for a more inclusive, participatory, and accountable political system. The papers provided a framework for democratic reform, with a focus on the maturity of party politics as a crucial element in the country’s political development, said Al-Khuraisha.
He pointed out that the importance of party work stems from our keenness to complete the new Jordan project in its second centennial, which we would not have reached with our high aspirations towards a Jordan that we deserve and deserves us, except with democratic principles that respect pluralism, encourage active and positive participation, and are based on clear programme paths away from what we have experienced from tribal, regional, and tribal loyalties.
In a dialogue session moderated by the Dean of Student Affairs, Dr. Ayman Al-Khazaleh, the Minister, outlined that serious and genuine political parties should not be mere tools to achieve personal ambitions or tribal interests. Rather, they should evolve into institutions that develop clear political programmes and solutions to national challenges. He indicated that the party project is fully aware of the Jordanian demographic, as it calls for the involvement of youth in the political decision-making process. This is because they are the ones who shape our future and must work for it by expressing their aspirations and then defending them for the benefit of the nation.
An extensive dialogue was held between the students and Minister Al-Khreisha on the steps taken to ensure that the elections are free, fair, transparent, and influential, the main challenges in implementing electoral reforms, the aspirations of the Jordanian people regarding political and economic development, how these reforms are compatible with the electoral process, and the measures taken to ensure that the reforms continue and are not neglected or undone by future governments.