WORKSHOPS

Workshop on the Jordanian By-law on State Subsidies to Political Parties

Under the patronage of the Ministry of Political and Parliamentary Affairs (MoPPA), the ‘EU Support to Jordanian Democratic Institutions & Development (EUJDID)’ project organised on 11, 16, and 30 October 2017 a series of three workshops. The main aim of the workshops was to engage political parties in open dialogue and consultations on state subsidies to political parties.

The workshops brought together representatives of Jordanian political parties, MoPPA staff members, and distinguished local and regional academics and political experts. 

The workshops’ main objective was to facilitate in-depth discussions on the potential modification of the By-law that regulates state subsidies to political parties (No.53 and its amendment No.111). Nearly 10 years after introducing state subsidies, MoPPA is considering another revision of the By-law in a manner that would ultimately motivate political parties to employ such subsidies in developing their activities and outreach, and subsequently broaden their public support. 

Discussions took place over a three-week period, during which the main stakeholders provided their insights and recommendations at each workshop. The first workshop addressed international and regional models of state subsidies to political parties; the second workshop tackled the areas of non-monetary subsidies and financial accountability, and the third workshop discussed the challenges associated with over-reliance on state subsidies. Political parties were provided with the opportunity to discuss these areas in an open and transparent forum, and to provide their written conclusions and recommendations to MoPPA following each workshop.

In order to enrich the debate, regional and national political experts and academics were invited to take part in all three workshops to share international best practices and provide valuable insights on the topics discussed.

The final conclusions will be collated by EUJDID in a comprehensive report, which will be used by MoPPA in its potential amendment of the aforementioned By-law. The By-law’s modification would ensure that the conditions and fields of expenditure of subsidies would untimely empower parties and enhance their performance. This objective is in line with the rationale of the EUJDID project, which aims at supporting Jordanian efforts in the consolidation of democratic practices. 

The project is funded by the European Union and encompasses three components: Parliamentary Support, Electoral Assistance, and Support to the Political Party System. It is implemented by a consortium led by the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES), and is composed of the European Partnership for Democracy (EPD), Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD), and the French Agency for Media Cooperation (CFI).