Jordan

The State of Local Democracy assessment in Jordan was led by Hani Hourani, Basem al –Tweisi, May Al-Taher and Hussein Abu Rumman of Al-Urdun Al-Jadid Research Centre (UCJR), who finalized the study in 2009. The researchers carried out fieldwork and desk research in the cities of Mafraq, Jerash, Rusaifa and Ma'an, each of which represents patterns of geographic location and demographics. The report was part of the wider International IDEA project, The State of Local Democracy in the Arab World, which included assessments of Jordan, Egypt, Moroccoand Yemen. This assessment was unique in its focus on cities; the format was chosen in order to analyse the urbanization trends in these areas, which has been a challenge for their political and democratic development.

As a follow-up to the assessment, International IDEA and the UCJR hosted a conference in Amman on 11 March 2009, entitled Local Democracy in Jordan, at which experts and local officials presented the assessment’s findings and encouraged a strong multi-disciplinary debate. The meeting brought together practitioners and academics to discuss Jordan’s democratic realities and develop strong recommendations.

ASSESSMENT REPORTS