Election Legitimacy Hinges on Transparency, Law Enforcement, Citizen Satisfaction, Says IEC Chief.

Amman: Chairman of the Independent Election Commission (IEC) Musa Maaytah, emphasized that the legitimacy of elections hinges on transparency, adherence to the law, and citizen satisfaction with the results, which reinforces trust in the importance and impact of their votes. According to Jordan News Agency, Maaytah highlighted at a meeting organized by the Arab Women Organization, in collaboration with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the Jordanian National Commission for Women in Amman, that building public trust in the electoral process is a cornerstone of democracy. He stressed the importance of inclusive political participation, noting that empowering women is central to achieving democracy, development, and social justice, as outlined in an IEC statement released on Monday. Maaytah pointed out that Jordan's recent elections were internationally praised for their integrity and transparency. He noted progress in empowering women, with women constituting 27% of the 20th Parliament , reflecting sustained efforts to enhance female political participation. Fadia Kiwan, Director of the Arab Women Organization, stated that the meeting aims to foster an enabling environment for women and girls in the Arab world. She explained that the organization has launched a project to form regional and national teams to monitor elections with a focus on gender equality. A standardized monitoring form was implemented during Jordan's 2024 parliamentary elections and Tunisia's presidential elections. Maha Ali, Secretary-General of the Jordanian National Commission for Women, expressed pride in women's representation in the Jordanian Parliament, reaching 19.6%, the highest in the Kingdom's history. She noted that this achievement aligns with the royal vision supporting women's roles in various fields, commending the IEC's measures to enhance women's participation, including the recognition of electoral violence against women and the development of mechanisms to address it. Annette Funke, Director of the "WoMENA" program at GIZ, lauded Jordan's efforts to promote gender equality in the electoral process. She affirmed that the program, implemented in partnership with the Arab Women Organization, aims to ensure women's full participation in elections as voters, candidates, and leaders within electoral bodies.