US embassy cable - 03AMMAN2682

UNCLAS AMMAN 002682 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PHUM, SOCI, JO 
SUBJECT: JORDAN'S JUNE 17 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS: TIMELINE 
AND PROCEDURAL RULES FOR CANDIDATES 
 
1. (U) Jordan is scheduled to hold parliamentary elections on 
June 17.  This cable provides basic information regarding the 
legal requirements candidates must fulfill in the run-up to 
the election, as well as a timeline of when specific actions 
must occur prior to the sitting of the new Parliament. 
 
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INITIAL CANDIDACY PROCEDURES 
----------------------------- 
 
2. (U)  Individuals wishing to compete in the June 17 
elections are required to provide their candidacy 
applications to the Head of the Central Committee for the 
governorate in which they choose to run with a statement 
affirming the following during a three day (May 18-20) 
registration period. 
 
Candidates must: 
 
a. be at least 30 years old and a Jordanian national for at 
least 10 years, 
b. not have bankruptcy convictions or sentences of over one 
year for non-political     crimes, 
c. not belong to any "non-Jordanian" political parties or 
organizations, 
d. pay a 500 Jordanian dinars (700 USD) fee. 
 
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LIMITS ON CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES 
----------------------------- 
 
4. (U) Once the campaign has officially begun on May 18 (30 
days prior to voting) candidates must comply with the 
following rules: 
 
a. electoral meetings and campaign speeches are prohibited in 
places of worship, universities, private and public schools, 
public streets and government buildings. 
 
b. Speeches, publications and political advertisements may 
not include material slandering any candidates, or agitation 
of sectarian, tribal or regional bias against any groups of 
citizens. 
 
c. Government employees are prohibited from engaging in any 
election publicity at their work sites. 
 
d. Candidates may not present gifts, monetary contributions, 
or in-kind assistance to any voters or election officials. 
 
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ELECTION DAY: SUPERVISION AND PROCEDURES 
---------------------------------------- 
 
5. (U) The Minister of the Interior will form committees that 
will administer voting and vote counting.  Voting begins at 7 
a.m. on June 17th and ends at 7:00 p.m. that same evening. 
Candidates or assigned delegates are allowed to observe end 
of day vote counting procedures.  Assigned committees at each 
voting center must open the ballot boxes in front of those 
official candidate representatives present at each center and 
count ballots.  Results will then be sent to the District 
Electoral committee. 
 
 
6. (U) Supervising the elections process will be a committee 
composed of the Minister of the Interior, Secretary General 
of the Ministry of the Interior, Head of the Passport 
department, a "high caliber" judge to be named by the 
President of the Judicial Council, and the head of the 
Elections department. 
 
------------------------ 
CERTIFICATION OF RESULTS 
------------------------ 
 
7. (U) Per the Elections Law, election results must be 
announced by the Minister of the Interior no later than 48 
hours after receiving the voting records from the voting 
centers. 
 
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CONVENING THE NEW PARLIAMENT 
---------------------------- 
 
8. (U) Per the Jordanian Constitution, the King, in 
consultation with the PM, will likely set a date soon after 
the elections for convening an extraordinary session of the 
new Parliament which will sit until September 30.  October 
1st, per the Constitution, is designated as the first day for 
the ordinary session of the lower house of the Jordanian 
parliament. 
BERRY