DEMOCRATIC REFORM STRATEGY FOR 2005-2006: JORDAN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 06 AMMAN 004125

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KDEM KMPI JO
SUBJECT: DEMOCRATIC REFORM STRATEGY FOR 2005-2006: JORDAN

REF: STATE 80607


1. Post has identified four desired outcomes in our effort
to support Jordan's reform plans and to advance democracy: 1)
enhancement of political participation and representational
government through passage of new election and political
parties laws; 2) greater government accountability resulting
from public sector reform; 3) promotion of the rule of law by
improving the performance of the judiciary; and 4)
strengthening the freedom and professionalism of the news
media. The GOJ has made some progress in line with its
publicly declared reform strategy, but considerable space
remains for increased USG support of GOJ initiatives.


2. Desired Outcome: Passage of new elections and political
parties laws that will encourage a more representative
parliament, and that will promote the development of
political parties.

Baseline:

Elections Law -- The GOJ and political activists have
identified reform of the current elections law and political
parties law as key to enhancing political development in
Jordan. Under Jordan's existing elections law, the country
is divided into 45 districts for purposes of elections to the
Lower House of parliament. Some of the districts are
allotted several legislative seats (e.g., the 3rd District of
Amman elects five MPs) while other districts are allotted
only one seat. In theory the number of seats should
correspond to the population of a given district, but in
practice districts with Palestinian-Jordanian majorities
(often in urban areas) are under-represented in the Lower
House, whereas districts dominated by East Bank Jordanians
are over-represented. The districts in the urban area of
Zarqa, for example, which are heavily Palestinian-Jordanian,
contain approximately 16 percent of Jordan's population, yet
are allotted only about 9 percent of seats in the Lower
House.

Due in part to the current electoral law's bias in favor of
East Bankers, only 17 out of 110 MPs in the Lower House are
Jordanian citizens of Palestinian origin -- a percentage far
below the estimated 60 percent plus of Jordanians whose
families came from west of the Jordan River. While voters in
districts with large Palestinian-Jordanian majorities have
opted to elect some East Bankers, this is sometimes the
result of two factors: 1) the perception that an East Banker
MP will have more influence with the government to provide
jobs and services for constituents; and 2) behind-the-scenes
lobbying by the state security services for their preferred
East Banker candidates.

Within each electoral district, Jordanians presently cast a
vote for only one candidate. Particularly in tribal areas,
voters are strongly encouraged by their families to vote for
a candidate who is a member of their tribe, rather than a
candidate who reflects their political beliefs. Some reform
advocates have accordingly called for an electoral system
where voters are allowed to cast ballots for more than one
candidate, with the candidate or candidates in each district
receiving the most total votes being sent to the Lower House.


The governments of former PM Faisal al-Fayez and current PM
Adnan Badran (chosen by King Abdullah in April 2005 to
replace Fayez) have pledged to push for the adoption of a new
elections law prior to parliamentary elections scheduled for
the summer of 2007. The text of such a new law will
reportedly reflect the recommendations on electoral reform
generated by a commission appointed by King Abdullah to
design a comprehensive &National Agenda8 to guide Jordan's
development -- including political development -- over the
next 10 years. The commission's recommendations are expected
no later than the Fall of 2005.

Political Parties Law -- Strengthening political parties has
also been identified as a key component of political
development in Jordan. There are currently 33 legally
recognized political parties in Jordan. Apart from the
Islamic Action Front (IAF),which is the only strong,
organized political force in the country, the parties are not
well developed and are poorly integrated into the country's
political landscape. The majority of political parties are
very small (none but the IAF has more than 500 registered
members),pursue limited agendas driven by individual
personalities, and lack the ability to present national
political platforms or programs responsive to citizen needs.
As a result, most Jordanians consider them to be ineffective
and irrelevant. Some political party leaders recognize these
deficiencies and are working to broaden their political base
and expand outreach efforts. They complain, however, that
they are hampered by a lack of financial resources, a
restrictive political parties law, and close monitoring (and
at times interference) by state security services.

In his vision for political reform, King Abdullah has
expressed his desire for effective political parties and the
merger of current groups into three distinct ideological
political movements: conservative/Islamist, centrist, and
progressive. To achieve this goal, the King has called for a
new political parties law that would aid in the development
and strengthening of parties. A proposed draft law on
political parties presented in March 2005 by the government
of former PM Faisal al-Fayez was poorly received. Although
this draft provided for state funding of parties over a
certain size (a long-standing demand by party leaders),it
contained several troubling clauses, most notably a
prohibition against activity that
"interferes" in the affairs of other states or "harms"
Jordan. The proposed law was never submitted to parliament,
however, and the Minister of Political Development who
presented it publicly for comment (and who has since been
replaced in the new cabinet) pledged that the final draft of
the law would be in harmony with the recommendations made by
the National Agenda commission.

2005 Milestones:

-- Work on National Agenda continues on track for unveiling
in September 2005.

-- Proposed National Agenda issued which includes guidelines
and/or recommendations on new elections law and new political
parties law.

-- GOJ reaches out to public for input on new elections and
political parties legislation; private Jordanians (including
political parties, activists, and academics) provide feedback
on National Agenda recommendations for both laws.

2006 Milestones:

-- GOJ and private Jordanians actively consult on text of
proposed new laws.

-- GOJ drafts and presents new laws for public comment.

-- Draft laws are revised in response to public comments and
submitted to parliament.

-- Parliament adopts new elections law and political parties
law prior to summer 2007 parliamentary elections.

Tactics/Diplomatic Strategies:

-- U.S. Embassy and senior level officials from Washington
actively encourage the GOJ to submit an improved elections
law and political parties law to parliament, as well as to
refrain from interfering in parliamentary elections and from
harassing political activists.

-- Continued funding and renewal of ongoing National
Democratic Institute (NDI) program -- administered by USAID
and MEPI -- to support and strengthen political parties in
Jordan.

-- Allocation of new funds for International Visitor Program
to provide targeted study trips to U.S. for young political
party leaders.


3. Desired Outcome: An efficient and responsive public
sector that provides better government services and is more
accountable to citizens.

Baseline: Driven partly by growing public frustration with
poor GOJ performance and a bloated bureaucracy, the GOJ has
outlined a comprehensive public sector reform (PSR) strategy
to increase the efficiency and transparency of government
operations, enhance the rule of law, and provide better
services to its citizens. Increased USG support for GOJ PSR
initiatives will address several of the objectives in the
U.S. strategy of advancing democracy, including the
improvement of a) institutional checks and balances, b)
government accountability, c) responsiveness to citizens, and
d) competent and effective government.

The GOJ in 2004 created two units to implement and oversee
the public sector reform initiative. Based within the Prime
Ministry, these units are supervised by two Ministers of
State with the change of government in April 2005. The
Department for Monitoring Government Performance is
responsible for tracking the overall progress in public
sector reform, including the establishment of "key
performance indicators" for each ministry. The Department
for Public Sector Reform is charged with providing ministries
with technical support to carry out this initiative.
PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC) has developed the PSR agenda for
Jordan, and the World Bank is finalizing a $15 million loan
to the Jordanians to plan follow-on activities based on PWC's
recommendations. USAID is providing substantial assistance
for public sector reform in coordination with the World Bank,
and has restructured its privatization program to include up
to $5 million for public sector reform projects over the next
two years.
Several USAID-funded PSR activities are currently under way
in Jordan. For example, USAID is providing technical
assistance to help build the capacity of the Ministry of
Communications and Information Technology to manage a
national e-government program. An NGO called Excellence Inc.
has recently been established to assist internal GOJ reform
efforts. USAID is also helping streamline operations in the
Customs Department so that it can better serve Jordan's drive
to increase trade and investment. In a related project,
USAID also has been instrumental in creating the Aqaba
Special Economic Zone in the southern Red Sea port town of
Aqaba. The goal is to create a modern, efficient, and
transparent model for good governance, municipal development
and private sector participation, while serving as a model of
reform for the rest of Jordan. Technical assistance also has
been provided to improve the operations and services in the
Ministries of Health, Water, Industry and Trade, and Justice.


In early 2005 King Abdullah appointed a royal commission to
provide recommendations on devolving some government
authority to three new regional assemblies. Depending on the
commission's findings (slated to be announced no later than
the Fall of 2005),significant new opportunities may emerge
for USG support of public sector reform in Jordan.

2005 Milestones:

-- Department of Public Sector Reform and Department of
Monitoring Government Performance develop action plans and
performance indicators for each government ministry designed
to improve internal operations and citizen services.
Ministries clearly articulate their plans to staff and the
public.

-- The GOJ, through the e-government program, develops
uniform security, interoperability and web applications
standards to be implemented by all government institutions.

-- GOJ improves transparency of government operations,
particularly on issues involving public expenditures.

-- GOJ works with civil society stakeholders and the media to
raise public awareness of the costs of corruption and to
identify specific mechanisms through which corruption may be
curbed.

2006 Milestones:

-- GOJ begins drafting a new civil service code linking grade
levels with experience and training.

-- Through the e-government program, GOJ establishes a secure
government network. It creates a work plan and timetable to
integrate all government computer systems and expands the
government e-mail system to connect GOJ ministries.

-- GOJ increases outsourcing of GOJ activities, including the
privatization of select operations and training courses.

-- Citizens form lobbying groups designed to advocate citizen
rights and pressure the GOJ to move forward on key aspects of
the PSR strategy, including transparency and accountability
in budgeting.

-- Ministries create internal ombudsman to check reform
efforts and provide an avenue of recourse for government
employees.

Tactics/Diplomatic Strategies:

-- Build close ties with the new ministries charged with
public sector reform in order to mutually determine
additional areas for U.S.-GOJ cooperation.

-- Institute a regular dialogue with contacts on multiples
levels in each ministry about internal reform efforts and
above mentioned action plans, with an eye to gauging progress
and assessing additional needs as they arise.

-- Provide financial and technical assistance for GOJ's
e-government program.

-- Provide technical assistance to privatize the National
Information Technology Center, the implementation arm for
Jordan's e-government activities.

-- Through USAID and MEPI, provide training to members of
parliament, the media, and activists affiliated with "watch
dog" NGOs to better understand and monitor the budget process
with an eye to increasing transparency.


4. Desired Outcome: An open and transparent judicial
system; improved public confidence in the courts to
effectively resolve disputes.
Baseline: Jordan's justice sector has historically been
plagued by inefficiency, a large case backlog and a mostly
manual system of case management. In cooperation with USAID,
the GOJ has launched an ambitious initiative to modernize its
court system and enhance judicial training. More than 50
percent of Jordan's judicial case load has now been
automated, with plans to computerize an additional 20 percent
over the next nine months. An expanding alternative dispute
resolution program is further reducing demands on the courts
and case delays. To improve training provided to judges,
Jordan is also fully revamping its sole Judicial Training
Institute.

With the support of the American Bar Association (ABA),a
working group of Jordanian judges from different levels has
engaged in a year long efforts to develop a judicial code of
conduct. This effort included the study of comparative
resource materials, a series of retreats to draft and revise
code language, awareness sessions to gather feedback from
over 500 Jordanian judges, and the publishing of a new code
for public review and comment. The new code will contribute
to the enhancement of judicial independence, as well as to
public confidence in the integrity of the judiciary.

USAID has allotted $7.8 million to DPK Consulting and $3
million to the ABA over a 3-year period to implement judicial
reform projects.

In addition, post funds supported other programs that boosted
the judicial reform effort. For example, the president of
the Amman Shari'a Court will be in the U.S. for a three-week
International Visitor Program, entitled "Promoting Interfaith
Dialogue," in June 2005. A two-week citizen exchange
organized by the Institute of the Study and Development of
Legal Systems is scheduled to take place in San Francisco, in
September 2005. Five Jordanians will attend this program: a
Court of Appeals judge and member of the Judicial Council,
two Reconciliation Court judges, an Amman Court general
prosecutor, and a private lawyer. USAID has nominated the
Ministry of Justice Project Manager for a U.S. Judicial
System training program.

2005 Milestones:

-- Trained personnel demonstrably affect efficiency of case
management and quality of work in courts.

-- Ministry of Justice continues to implement its reform
strategy and expands court automation throughout Jordan.

-- An alternative dispute resolution program is expanded,
further reducing case backlogs and delays.

-- Judicial Training Institute reorganized according to
international best practices; modern teaching methodology
adopted.

-- New judicial code of conduct adopted and given force of
law.

2006 Milestones:

-- Increased number of trained personnel continues to improve
efficiency of case management and work.

-- Ministry of Justice completes reform in 1-2 pilot courts.
Case processing times reduced over previous year.

-- The court automation system is implemented countrywide,
and USAID automates 75% of Jordan's total judicial activity.

-- The Judicial Training Institute is recognized as a
regional model for sustainable training programs.
Tactics/Diplomatic Strategies:

-- Post and Washington officials encourage GOJ officials to
draft, amend, pass, and implement laws that reinforce the
rule of law, using contacts across every sector of the
U.S.-Jordan relationship.

-- Through the International Visitors Program and in-country
events, provide training to judges, prosecutors, law school
professors and other players within the judiciary to improve
court administration, strengthen English skills, and increase
computer literacy.

-- USAID works to finalize a new judicial code of conduct,
with enforcement mechanisms, to provide transparency to the
rule of law and improve the public's perception of the
judiciary.

-- USAID continues to support court automation project and
its implementation throughout Jordan.

-- The Public Affairs section and USAID further develop an
alternative dispute resolution system (ADR),allowing
litigants to seek resolutions without formal court
proceedings.

-- Public Affairs and USAID continue work to build the
capacity of the Judicial Training Institute to train new
judges and continue educating the judiciary.


5. Desired Outcome: A more independent and freer press.

Baseline: Jordan's overall media environment might be called
"semi-independent." The government owns a significant
portion of the country's media outlets, including a
controlling stake - via the social security corporation -- in
the Jordan Press Foundation, which owns several papers,
including top-circulation Al Rai Arabic daily and its
English-language counterpart The Jordan Times. The
government also owns the Petra News Agency, a wire service
that feeds news stories to the papers that are non-objective,
essentially government propaganda. What the GOJ does not own
it often seeks to influence or control. Much of the
censorship is self-imposed out of fear of informal
repercussions. Journalists are sometimes harassed by the
security services and in some rare cases security agents
stationed at printing companies have held up the presses
until offending articles are removed. As a result, Jordan's
press and broadcast media are constrained in their ability to
report on sensitive domestic issues, especially when they
touch the interests of the political elite.

Media reform is a stated goal of the government. The King
has called for a freer and more open press in order to
promote his reform agenda. Some steps have been taken
towards that end. For example, the GOJ recently allowed the
licensing of private TV and radio stations, although to date
such stations have been limited to radio entertainment
channels (the fee for non-entertainment licenses is 50%
higher). Also, newly launched independent publications like
the Arabic daily al-Ghad have rapidly expanded their
readership and promise to earn good advertising revenues.

2005 Milestones:

-- Criminal penalties under the current press law are
eliminated.

-- An independent radio station receives a license and begins
broadcasting news and/or current events programs without
government interference.

-- A private terrestrial TV station is granted a license and
begins broadcasting in competition with GOJ-controlled Jordan
TV.

2006 Milestones:

-- The GOJ sells or divests its shares in the Jordan Press
Foundation, thereby relinquishing its stake in the print
media.

-- The security services cease to detain or harass
journalists deemed to have crossed redlines.

-- Additional private radio and/or TV stations begin
operation carrying local news and investigative reporting.

Tactics/Diplomatic Strategies:

-- USG weighs in against detention or harassment of
journalists who criticize the government.

-- PA and USAID continue to train young journalists and
strengthen the mass communications faculties in Jordanian
universities.

--PA and USAID support high-profile conferences, workshops
and other public events that underline the role of a free and
reliable news media in promoting economic and political
reform.

Please visit Embassy Amman's classified web site at
http://www.state.sgov/p/nea/amman/ or access the site through
the Department of State's SIPRNET home page.
HALE