Ammon News - The Lower House of Parliament on Monday approved 12 articles of the 2026 Local Administration Law, which comprises 70 articles, in discussions that focused on defining the framework of local administration, municipal powers, urban development planning and the relationship between elected councils and executive administrations.

The House began with Article 1, which establishes the name of the law and stipulates that it will enter into force 60 days after its publication in the Official Gazette.

Moving to the law's definitions, the House approved Article 2, adding definitions for "taxpayer" and the "Municipal Urban Development Observatory," a digital platform designed to support municipal decision-making, resource allocation, and urban and strategic planning.

The House then approved Article 3, which establishes the main bodies governed by the legislation, including municipal councils, governorate councils, executive councils and joint services councils.

Building on this institutional framework, Article 4 defines municipalities as public-benefit institutions with legal, financial and administrative independence. It also sets out provisions governing their establishment, boundaries, powers and elected municipal councils.

The legislation then turns to the powers of municipal councils under Article 5, which authorizes them to approve urban development plans covering land use, infrastructure, transportation, waste management, water and sanitation, stormwater drainage, and development, service and investment priorities. The provision aims to support balanced and sustainable urban development while aligning local plans with national and sectoral priorities.

Articles 6 and 7, approved as presented in the draft, address municipal functions and the responsibilities and operation of municipal councils, respectively.

The discussion subsequently moved to governance and the conduct of municipal officials. Under Article 8, municipal council presidents and members must obtain prior approval from the Ministry of Local Administration before traveling outside Jordan on official missions or participating in training programs and workshops, while also notifying the minister of special leave requests.

Articles 9 and 10, approved as presented in the draft, address additional provisions governing municipal administration, operations and financial and administrative responsibilities.

The House then turned to the appointment of municipal directors under Article 11, approving an amendment that allows the elected municipal council to select the director from among three candidates shortlisted through a centralized, merit-based technical screening process. The article also protects the employment rights of municipal directors appointed before the law takes effect.

Article 12, the final article considered during Monday's session, was approved as presented in the draft, completing the House's consideration of the first 12 articles.

During the discussions, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Local Administration Walid Masri clarified that municipal services are provided to all residents within municipal boundaries regardless of nationality, while voting and candidacy rights remain limited to eligible Jordanian citizens. He also distinguished between residency and the legal definitions of a voter and taxpayer.

The draft law, approved by the Cabinet on May 24 and referred to Parliament for constitutional consideration, seeks to strengthen local governance, expand public participation and accountability, and shift municipalities from traditional service provision toward broader development and investment roles.

In line with these objectives, the legislation clarifies the division of responsibilities between elected municipal councils, which set policies and priorities, and executive administrations, which prepare and implement plans and projects. It also strengthens strategic planning, digital transformation and oversight, while linking local development priorities to national plans.

The remaining 58 articles will be considered by the House in subsequent sessions.