Jordan's Electoral Body Orders Islamic Action Front Party to Rectify Violations

Jordan's Independent Election Commission (IEC) has formally notified the Islamic Action Front party, demanding the correction of violations within 60 days, according to a statement released Wednesday.

The decision, rooted in Article 33 of the Political Parties Law No. 7, mandates the party address specific discrepancies to maintain compliance.

The IEC's board of commissioners, in a resolution dated February 25, reviewed a memorandum from the political parties registrar highlighting the party's failure to align its fundamental statute with the council-approved standards of good governance.

This misalignment, according to the council, contravenes the constitution and the Political Parties Law.

The Islamic Action Front party had previously been alerted to these violations via a registrar's letter dated February 17.

Specifically, the violations include a breach of Clause 1 of Article 1 in the statute, pertaining to the party's name. The IEC says it conflicts with Paragraph B of Article 5 of the Political Parties Law, which prohibits the establishment of parties based on religious, sectarian, ethnic, or factional grounds, or on the basis of discrimination due to gender or origin.

The council clarified that the party's name is an integral component of its fundamental statute, reflecting its political identity, and therefore must be devoid of any religious, sectarian, ethnic, or discriminatory connotations.

Further violations concern the mechanism for forming the Supreme Court and Central Court within the party. The IEC says their selection process, which bypasses election by the General Conference, contravenes standards of good governance and compromises their independence.

The Independent Election Commission, in its notification, expressed its willingness to engage in dialogue with the party to clarify the noted concerns, emphasizing its commitment to maintaining communication with all political parties.