Amman: Minister of Political and Parliamentary Affairs Abdul Monem Odat emphasized the critical role of municipal councils as the government's primary interface with citizens and a cornerstone for consolidating popular participation in decision-making.
According to Jordan News Agency, Odat highlighted that the councils provide a genuine platform for citizens to express their priorities and needs, participating in shaping and following up on development plans. He stressed that developing and empowering municipalities is a national priority aimed at improving service quality and strengthening public trust in state institutions. These remarks were made during the launch of a dialogue program with political parties on the "Local Administration Law," organized by the Ministry of Political and Parliamentary Affairs in collaboration with the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy, the European Union Delegation to Jordan, and Expertise France, under the "Support to Democratic Reforms in Jordan" program. The event was attended by heads of parliamentary blocs and committees as well as several representatives of political parties in Parliament.
Odat noted that the modernization project, in its three tracks, represents a comprehensive national vision to build a modern Jordanian state capable of meeting current and future needs while upholding principles of participation, accountability, transparency, and the rule of law. He emphasized that political parties are a key pillar in the political modernization system, playing a central role in developing realistic visions and programs for local administration that contribute to achieving balanced and comprehensive development and reinforce public participation in local decision-making.
He further pointed out that reviewing and developing the Local Administration Law is a necessary step to empower municipalities and governorate councils, which will positively affect service quality and enhance citizens' trust in their institutions. Effective local administration, he explained, is based on sound governance that boosts performance efficiency, reinforces transparency in decision-making, and engages citizens in setting priorities and monitoring implementation.
Minister of Local Administration Walid Masri added that the outcomes of political modernization included several recommendations for developing local administration legislation, stemming from the state's deep belief that genuine community development begins with local councils, municipalities, and governorate councils. He emphasized that municipalities are state partners responsible for urban and spatial planning and public service delivery, alongside governorate councils, which represent a genuine step toward decentralization.
Masri noted that a draft Local Administration Law will be prepared after reaching consensus on the law's main pillars, which aim to strengthen municipal work and empower and improve the governance of governorate councils. The draft will undergo dialogue with civil society organizations, experts, and political parties to refine and enhance it, ensuring alignment with the visions of political and economic modernization and public sector reform.
The European Union Ambassador to Jordan, Pierre-Christophe Chatzisavas, expressed his pleasure at launching this dialogue process, reaffirming the EU's commitment to supporting Jordan's political reform efforts. He stated that the partnership between Jordan and the EU represents a model of constructive cooperation in promoting democracy and good governance.
Bashar Al-Khatib, the representative of the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy in Jordan, remarked that the program is part of the political reform process, noting that the Local Administration Law is a cornerstone for achieving democratic decentralization and enhancing citizen participation at the municipal and governorate levels. Through this program, the institute will facilitate dialogue between political parties in cooperation with the Ministry of Political and Parliamentary Affairs to ensure inclusiveness and participation in the reform process.
Participants raised several issues, including the importance of legislative stability to stimulate economic development, rebuilding roles and powers within local councils, and reaffirming accountability and responsibility following the principle of the rule of law. The program aims to strengthen constructive dialogue among Jordanian political parties on modernization priorities related to activating decentralization and local governance and to build political consensus on future national directions for local administration in Jordan.