Political participation in Jordan: the impact of party and tribal loyalties since 1989

Abstract

In the light of the internal and regional crises in the 1980s, Jordan found itself under pressure, and various ideological and political factors pushed the country towards political reform. As a result, Jordan has undergone several transformations, and a certain degree of political liberalization has made political participation the main objective of the Jordanian political system and its various institutions. This development in turn has required participation of all segments of the society, including political parties, minorities, and women. This participation demonstrates how far the political system has been liberalized. Therefore, nobody can argue that there is no political participation in Jordan. However, important questions remain. What is the form of this participation? What is its scale? What factors influence political participation, and what are its main objectives? Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the issue of political participation in Jordan. In particular, it investigated the impact of party and tribal loyalties on political participation in Jordan since 1989. This is undertaken through examining the basic forms of political participation, particularly participation in parliamentary elections. Accordingly, this study is divided into two main parts. The first part aims to shed light on the historical development of Jordanian parliament, electoral laws and systems, and political parties' participation and in addition to examine these in context of the socio-economic, political, and cultural environment. The second part was carried out through a survey involving the distribution of 400 questionnaires to five groups of political elite in Jordan. It is concluded in this study that despite the fact that political parties in Jordan date back to the establishment of the state in 1921, the social relations of kinship and the tribe are still dominant and constitute the main motives for Jordanians to participate in parliamentary elections. Several factors explain this, but it is argued here that the most important is legislations, particularly the emergency laws which have heavily restricted political freedoms and activities.