Jordan is preparing its next municipal elections with an increased threshold of representation of women: at least 30 per cent of council members, compared with 25 per cent in the previous elections. But this figure does not describe an electoral result already acquired or a quota of women mayors. The Local Government Act of 2026 combines voting and, where it does not meet the required threshold, a ministerial appointment mechanism. It is this articulation that will determine the actual composition of the assemblies.
An announced calendar, not yet a voting date
The Council of Ministers adopted, at its meeting on 8 November 2026, the regulations organizing municipal councils. Its communiqué published the following day places this decision in preparation for elections scheduled for the first half of 2027. This window alone is not the election day.
The scheme covers 104 municipalities. The government mentions four new communities: Bani Ubayd, Ghor al-Mazraa, Juraynah and Rajm al-Shami. The regulation specifies the framework for the organization of councils in the wake of Act No. 16 of 2026, published in the Official Gazette on 10 September.
The distinction between steps is important. On 28 October, the Government approved the reasons for the proposed Regulations for further consideration. On 8 November it was adopted by the Council of Ministers. To present the first of these announcements as the completion of the procedure would therefore have anticipated the following decision.
What the 30% threshold really guarantees
Section 65(a) of the Act gives the competent minister the power to appoint women to municipal councils so that their proportion reaches at least 30 per cent of the members when elections have not been successful. The provision is therefore conceived as a minimum guarantee of composition, not as a ceiling prohibiting women from gaining more seats.
This proportion must also be distinguished from the percentage of candidates. An obligation on board members is not measured in the same way as a rule on applications. The result to be verified will be that of the final composition of each assembly, after applying the mechanisms provided for in the texts.
Another distinction is that the article refers to members of municipal councils. It does not reserve 30 per cent of the office of mayor to women. The method of election of the chair of the council and the guarantees of representation in the assembly answer two different questions. Confounding them would lead to a redistribution of executive responsibilities that is not provided for in this article alone.
Seats and responsibilities not to be confused
Digital change is part of a broader reorganization of local government. The Act distinguishes the elected municipal council from the municipal executive. Article 63 of the Act lays down, inter alia, requirements for complementarity between these two components, for the prevention of conflicts of interest, for administrative and financial transparency and for the continuity of services to the inhabitants.
This architecture gives concrete scope to the debate on representation. Entering a council does not mean running municipal services alone. The aim is to participate in an institution whose work involves administrative officials, budgetary procedures and ministerial supervision.
Article 64 provides for powers of control and inspection of municipalities and their councils. He also mentioned a unit to strengthen the capacity of council members and municipal employees, in coordination with the Jordanian Academy of Public Administration. The formation of elected representatives therefore belongs to the legal system, beyond the calculation of seats alone.
The role of the ministry remains crucial
The Minister does not only intervene in the addition of female representation. Article 65 also confers powers on him concerning the classification of municipalities on the basis of official statistics and certain decisions of territorial organisation. The text also covers important municipal operations, including agreements, assets and financial commitments.
The increase in the quota should therefore not be read as a general transfer of powers from the central state to the communities. It amends the guarantee of women ‘ s participation in councils that remain part of an administrative control system. The two dimensions can evolve separately: the composition of the assembly, on the one hand, and the extent of its margin of decision, on the other.
To assess the implementation of the reform, three elements will be decisive: the results of the elections, the possible number of complementary appointments and the effective division of responsibilities in the councils. At this stage, the legal threshold is established and the regulatory preparation has advanced. The number of women taking up the various functions cannot be deducted before the elections and the constitution of the new assemblies.
Comments