Ekweremadu, others to observe Jordanian election

Ike Ekweremadu

By SANNI ONOGU, Abuja

Former Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, will join a team of international observers for the November 10, 2020, parliamentary election in Jordan on the invitation of the Independent Election Commission of the Middle East nation.

The invitation was extended to the former Speaker of the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States, (ECOWAS) Parliament and member, International Parliament for Tolerance and Peace, IPTP, in a letter signed by the Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Jordanian election management body, Dr. Khalid Al Kalaldeh.

The election management body predicated Ekweremadu’s invitation to his vast experience and extensive work in the area of electoral reforms, according to a statement by his media aide, Uche Anichukwu in Abuja.

The letter in part: “On behalf of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of the Kingdom of Jordan, allow me to welcome you to Jordanian Parliamentary Election 2020.

“On Tuesday, November 10, 2020, Jordanian voters will head to their ballot stations to choose under the Election Law 2016 that introduces an open proportional representation system to elect 130 deputies, who will sit in 19th Parliament.

“To ensure that the election is credible, honest, and transparent, IEC is welcoming the support of all people and all partners, including election observers.

“While IEC is the only body legally empowered to monitor elections in Jordan, the IEC encourages and invites participation by national and international observers to assess the electoral process according to international standards.”

Meanwhile, Ekweremadu, who chaired the constitutional amendment efforts that resulted in far-reaching reform of Nigeria’s electoral system, has since accepted the invitation, describing it as an opportunity to understudy Jordanian’s version of proportional representation, an electoral system he has strongly canvassed as the best model to ensure adequate representation of the youth, women, and the physically challenged, among other under-represented groups in the legislature.

The lawmaker, who was also recently appointed as Chief Coordinator for Africa by the International Parliamentary Congress, IPC, stated that electoral reform was “an ongoing process and every experience counts”

The Kingdom of Jordan is a constitutional monarchy and operates a parliamentary system of government in which election into the Chamber of Deputies is the highest level of election. (The Nation)