Jordan » Politics

Jordan is stable, and this is to a large extent explained by the fact that Jordan has some democratic structures, even if the king is very strong and omnipresent in Jordanian political life. The ten last years of Jordan's political history have seen strong changes. Jordan thrives from the moderate politics and flexibility of its new king, a line he continues from his father, Hussein 1, who died in 1999. The women's quota resulted in six female deputies. On 24 November 2005, Dr Adnan Badran resigned as Prime Minister. King Abdullah has gone to great lengths to plan long term improvements to the economy of Jordan. 

Jordan is a central player in the challenges facing the Middle East, through both choice and circumstance. Traditionally, it has adopted a proactive role in attempting to ease tensions in the region and promote peace, and it has been largely successful in preventing conflict from breaking through its borders. While its military and security services are viewed as being among the best in the Arab world, diplomacy is perhaps the kingdom's most valuable resource, given the number of potential threats it faces. King Abdullah II has indeed achieved some notable diplomatic victories, including the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin; the hosting of a summit between US President George W. Bush and prime minister of Iraq, Nouri Al Maliki; and his collaboration with Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak to join Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas at a summit with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. On the home front, the government's priorities are modernising its economic and political systems.

 

Bush and prime minister of Iraq, Nouri Al Maliki; and his collaboration with Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak to join Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas at a summit with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.The EU's interest in Jordan is testament to the kingdom's stabilising and modernising influence in the Middle East region. Many feel, however, that the US should be doing more to assist Jordan with its refugee problem. By June 2007, it was believed to be hosting more refugees per capita than any other nation in the world, with around 700,000 Iraqi refugees joining 1.8m Palestinians. Parliamentary elections are scheduled for late 2007. In terms of parliamentary politics, the religious opposition remains a key player.