2013
Jordan Parliamentary Elections
21
term observers attended polling staff trainings during the pre-election period and determined that
they were comprehensive and conducted professionally.
However, the rushed timeline for the elections created challenges, specifically for the IEC. The
commission itself was only established in May 2012, leaving just eight months for the new entity to
establish an organization, hire staff and prepare for nationwide elections under a new election law.
Adding to the time pressure, the hastily passed election law left a number of legal instructions
without clear definitions, requiring executive instructions to be issued by the IEC. One international
election expert advising the IEC estimated that the commission should have been given a year to a
year and half to fully implement all the changes to the law before Jordan held parliamentary
elections. As result of the tight time frame, the IEC was overwhelmed and understaffed, requiring
the institution to pull public servants from government ministries, thus possibly compromising its
independence.
