...parties shall not be established on sectarian or ethnic basis or on be
based on gender or origin or religious grounds.

...parties may accept gifts and donations from Jordanian people only...It is
prohibited for any party to receive funds, donations or contributions in
cash or in-kind from any state or foreign side or legal person whether
public or private, or from any unknown source.

Cabinet approves draft political parties bill
http://www.petra.gov.jo/Public_News/Nws_NewsDetails.aspx?lang=2&site_id=1&NewsID=57779&CatID=13

Amman, Jan 31 (Petra) - In line with the government's plans to bring about
political reform, the Cabinet on Tuesday approved the political parties
draft law for the year 2012. The decision comes in line with the
government's plan regarding legislation governing political life, which was
stated in its ministerial statement submitted to the parliament and by which
it won the lawmakers confidence.

The draft bill's endorsement is a culmination of months of continued
dialogue with political groups and after considering the outcome of the
national dialogue committee.

The provisions of the draft law confirm that citizens have the right to
assemble parties by their own free will. It reduced the number of founders
of any party to 250 people representing at least seven governorates of the
Kingdom and that the proportion of the founders of each governorate shall
not be less than 5 percent.

The new legislation stipulates that the proportion of women founders shall
not be less than 10 percent of the total number of founders.

Moreover, the draft legislation does not require founding members to provide
non-conviction clearance.

After announcing the establishment of a party, the legislation gives it the
freedom to act within the provisions of the Constitution and that the party
must depend in its financial resources on known Jordanian funding sources.

The draft bill entails that the dissolution of a party can only be done
through a judicial decision and that parties shall not be established on
sectarian or ethnic basis or on be based on gender or origin or religious
grounds.

Under the draft , requests to establish political parties shall be submitted
to an ad hoc committee instead of the interior ministry. The committee shall
be overseen by the interior minister and comprise president of the
Legislation and Opinion Bureau as vice-president with the membership of the
secretary general of the Justice Ministry and the secretary general of
another ministry that shall be named by the prime minister.

The committee shall include as members, the commissioner general of the
human rights and another two commissioners from the Independent Commission
for Elections and take its decisions by majority vote.

Under the provisions of the draft legislation, those who have completed the
age of 18, can join parties after they are officially announced in
accordance with the provisions of this law and that citizen shall not be
subjected to accountability or tampering with his/her constitutional and
legal rights because of his/her partisanship.

Parties shall not , organizationally or financially, be linked with a
non-Jordanian party or direct partisan activity upon orders or directions
from any state or foreign body, the legislation stipulates. The law requires
that parties refrain from making partisan organization and polarization
among the Jordanian armed forces, security agencies, and civil defense and
refrain from establishing any military or paramilitary organizations by any
form whatsoever.

The party's headquarters, documents, correspondence and means of
communication shall be guaranteed and it is not permitted to monitor or raid
or seize them except by a judicial decision in accordance with the
provisions of law, except in cases of flagrante delicto.

It is also not allowed to inspect the premises of the parties, but only
through a decision from the competent public prosecutor and in his presence
as well as a representative of the party.

Parties are allowed to use public cultural and social facilities and the
centers of unions, associations, and clubs, provided that they obtain the
approval of those in charge of these places.

The draft bill stipulates that it is not allowed to use places of worship
for any partisan activity and that the funds of unions, associations and
clubs shall not be used for the benefit of any party.

Furthermore, parties may accept gifts and donations from Jordanian people
only, provided that these gifts and donations shall be known and declared
and that an individual's gift or donation shall not exceed JD50,000
annually.

Under the draft law, a tem will be set in the state's budget to contribute
to supporting parties from the state's treasury, after determining the
conditions, and the amount of this support in a special regulation for this
purpose.

The financial support must be used for the goals and objectives set forth in
the party's statute and also be deposited in Jordanian banks.

It is prohibited for any party to receive funds, donations or contributions
in cash or in-kind from any state or foreign side or legal person whether
public or private, or from any unknown source.

Establishment procedures set forth in this legislation are not applicable on
licensed parties until the draft law becomes effective.

//Petra// AA
31/1/2012 - 11:30:40 PM