Al Urdun Al Jadid Research Center  Who's Who in the Jordanian Parliament 1997-2001

This book introduces the members of Jordan’s 13th Parliament, which will represent the legislative branch of the Jordanian government from November 1997 until late 2001. The Jordanian Parliament consists of two chambers, the Lower House and the Upper House. The Lower House, or Chamber of Deputies, comprises 80 representatives elected in November 1997. The Upper House, or Senate, contains 40 members designated by a royal decree issued by the King immediately after the election of the Chamber of Deputies in accordance with the provisions of article 36 and the fifth chapter of the Jordanian Constitution. The two houses meet at the same time and have identical terms of session. If the Chamber of Deputies is dissolved or its sessions suspended, the sessions of the Upper House are suspended as well (see article 11 of the Jordanian Constitution). The two houses together form Jordan’s legislative authority. There are 22 articles in the Constitution containing comprehensive provisions governing their functions; four articles deal exclusively with the Upper House and eight with the Lower House. The book begins with a comprehensive introduction highlighting the most important phases of development in Jordanian parliamentary life, from the founding of the Jordanian state to the present time. The introduction is followed by two major sections containing summarized political and professional biographies of the current members of the Upper and Lower houses respectively. The mechanisms according to which these houses function are described in each section. The book also incorporates several helpful annex tables providing general facts and information on the nature and structure of the two houses and the composition of their membership. This supplementary section furnishes the names of successful candidates in the 1997 elections and the number of votes they received, as well as details relating to the vote of confidence on the government of Prime Minister Abdul Salam Majali (the first government formed during the term of the 13th Parliament). The data provided in this section may help readers better understand the positions of various members on particular issues and the voting trends that have prevailed in recent years. The book includes details relating to the parliamentary blocs and the various House committees, along with facts relating to the members’ party affiliations, professional background and stance towards the ratification of the Jordanian-Israeli peace treaty. The information provided with regard to each member of Parliament is based on responses to a questionnaire drafted by the Center’s researchers and sent to the parliamentarians to complete. In most instances the researchers used additional sources of information, particularly when efforts to obtain information directly from the parties in question were unsuccessful. In such cases, the sources of information are indicated. Al-Urdun Al-Jadid (New Jordan) Research Center has followed a systematic approach in introducing the parliamentarians at two levels: personal information is furnished on the basis of the members’ curricula vitae, while more general information is provided through an introduction of the houses of Parliament as a whole, and of the Upper and Lower houses (and their working mechanisms) separately. An effort is then made to place the current Parliament within an historical context by outlining the development of legislative life in Jordan. The book concludes with a series of annex tables, as outlined above. This book, issued in both Arabic and English, is the second of its kind published by Al-Urdun Al-Jadid; the first was produced in 1995 and was also made available in both languages. We are pleased to be able to continue this tradition, and hope that the second edition will fulfil the needs of interested readers in a multitude of sectors both within and outside Jordan. Comments and suggestions from readers regarding the content or form of the book are welcome. Al-Urdun Al-Jadid would like to extend its thanks to the parliamentarians for their cooperation in making the publication of this book possible. The Center would also like to express its profound gratitude to the Friedrich Ebert Foundation for its contribution and support in publishing this book, and to translators Lola Keilani and Lana Habash and editor Terri Lore for their hard work.

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