IRI Partner Releases First-Ever Local Governance Poll Publicized in Jordan

According to a recent municipal poll conducted in the municipalities of Salt, Zarqa, and Tafilah in Jordan, more than 50 percent of Jordanians believe mayors and council members should be elected by the people instead of appointed.  The majority of respondents also believe there should be a quota of seats for women on municipal councils; additionally, majorities support women voting in municipal elections, running for a council seat, and running for mayor.  The poll indicates that more than 60 percent of respondents in Salt believe the municipality is going in the right direction, while more than half of respondents in Zarqa (50.8 percent) and Tafilah (52.4 percent) think their respective municipalities are going in the wrong direction.

Conducted by the Jordan Center for Social Research and supported by IRI, the poll surveyed 1,500 men and women (500 each in 110 locations throughout Salt, Zarqa, and Tafilah) on their attitudes regarding the most important challenges facing municipalities in Jordan; local governance; the degree of citizens’ satisfaction with services provided by the municipality; evaluation of the current municipal council as compared with previous councils; women’s political participation at the municipal level; and the criteria that should apply to candidates for municipal office.

The poll was conducted by 57 field researchers from September 13-17, 2005.  The margin of error is ± two percent.  Field work for this poll was conducted by Middle East Marketing and Research Consultants.

The Jordan Center for Social Research is an independent, non-profit think tank based in Amman.

Up ArrowTop

Search