ammonnews.net

Ammon News - Deputy Premier, Minister of Local Administration Tawfiq Krishan said that "there are no interferences" in the work of the Independent Election Commission (IEC), which will guarantee fair governorate and municipal elections due to be held in the Kingdom next month.

Krishan said on Jordan Television's "60 Minutes" on Friday evening that "only the ballot box can decide the winning candidate", adding that the IEC had efficiently conducted and managed the last parliamentary elections.

He recalled that the local administration bill was withdrawn from the Council of Ministers in the past for amendment before it was passed later on, explaining that the government came up with solutions to a conflict of powers between local and governorate councils through the law.

A governorate council, he pointed out, undertook a great role after Jordan introduced decentralization four years ago, with a focus on correcting the flaws that occurred during the past period before a mayor became a governorate council member.

He noted His Majesty King Abdullah's interest in women's political empowerment as 25 per cent of governorate council seats were allocated for women.

The minister said that like other members, a governorate council head and his deputy are both elected, explaining that a mayor's presence on the council is participatory. He added that an executive director in a municipality has the key administrative role of carrying out its strategic plan.