Jordan Government 1997

Country name
conventional long form: Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
conventional short form: Jordan
local long form: Al Mamlakah al Urduniyah al Hashimiyah
local short form: Al Urdun
former: Transjordan

Data code JO

Government type constitutional monarchy

National capital Amman

Administrative divisions 8 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Balqa', Al Karak,Al Mafraq, 'Amman, At Tafilah, Az Zarqa', Irbid, Ma'an

Independence 25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)

National holiday Independence Day, 25 May (1946)

Constitution 8 January 1952

Legal system based on Islamic law and French codes; judicial review of legislativeacts in a specially provided High Tribunal; has not accepted compulsory ICJjurisdiction

Suffrage 20 years of age; universal

Executive branch
chief of state: King HUSSEIN bin Talal Al-Hashimi (since 2 May 1953)
head of government : Prime Minister Abd al-Salam al-MAJALI (since 19 March 1997)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the king
elections: none; the king is a constitutional monarch; prime minister appointedby the king

Legislative branch bicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-'Umma consists of the Houseof Notables or Majlis al-A'ayan (a 40-member body appointed by the king from designated categories of public figures; members serve four-year terms) andthe House of Representatives (80 seats; members elected by popular vote onthe basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 8 November 1993 (next to be heldNA November 1997
election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party- IAF 16, Jordanian National Alliance Party 4, Al-Yaqazah Party 2, Al-WatanParty 2, Al-'Ahd Party 2, Jordanian Arab Democratic Party 2, Al-MustaqbalParty 1, Jordanian Arab Socialist Ba'th Party 1, Jordanian Democratic ProgressiveParty 1, Jordanian People's Democratic Party-Hashd 1, Jordanian SocialistDemocratic Party 1, independents 47
note : the House of Representatives has been convened and dissolved by theking several times since 1974; in November 1989 the first parliamentary electionsin 22 years were held

Judicial branch Court of Cassation

Political parties and leaders Al-Ahrar (Liberals) Party, Ahmad al-ZU'BI, secretary general; Al-Taqaddumi(Progressive) Party, Fawwaz al-ZUBI, secretary general; Constitutional JordanianArab Front Party, Milhim al-TALL, leader; Democratic Arab Islamic MovementParty-Du'a', Yusuf ABU BAKR, secretary general; Islamic Action Front (IAF),Ishaq al-FARHAN, secretary general; Jordanian Arab Socialist Ba'th Party,Taysir al-HIMSI, command first secretary; Jordanian Communist Party (JCP),Ya'qub ZAYADIN, secretary general; Jordanian Democratic Popular Unity Party,'Azmi al-KHAWAJA, secretary general; Jordanian People's Democratic Party-Hashd,Salim al-NAHHAS, secretary general; Jordanian Unionist Democratic Party, 'IsaMADANAT (secretary general), Ali AMIR (secretary general), Munis al-RAZZAZ(secretary general); Pan-Arab Action Front Party, Muhammad al-ZU'BI, secretarygeneral; Progressive Arab Ba'th Party, Mahmud al-MA'AYITAH, command secretary;Al-Mustaqbal (Future) Party, Sulayman 'ARAR, secretary general; JordanianArab Partisans Party, Muhammad al-MAJALI, leader, Muhammad al-SHURAYDAH, secretarygeneral; Jordanian Peace Party, leader NA; Ansar Party, leader NA; Ummah Party,leader NA; Arab Land Party, leader NA
note: in 1995, the Jordanian Arab Democratic Party, the Jordanian DemocraticProgressive Party, and the Jordanian Socialist Democratic Party merged toform the Jordanian Unionist Democratic Party, Isa MADANAT, Ali AMIR, Munisal-RAZZAZ, secretaries general; in May 1997 the following parties - Al-'Ahd(Pledge) Party, 'Abd al-Hadi al-MAJALI, secretary general; Al-Watan (Homeland)Party, 'Akif al-FAYIZ, leader; Al-Yaqazah (Awakening) Party, 'Abd al-Ra'ufal-RAWABIDAH, secretary general; Democratic Arab Unionist Party-Wa'd, Anisal-MU'ASHIR, secretary general; Jordanian Arab Masses Party, 'Abd al-KhaliqSHATAT, secretary general; Jordanian National Alliance Party, Mijhim al-KHURAYSHAH,secretary general; Popular Unity Party-the Unionists, Mustafa AL-'ISAWI, secretarygeneral; and the Progress and Justice Party, 'Ali al-SA'D, secretary general- merged to form the National Constitutional Party, 'Abd al Hadi AL-MAJALI,secretary general

International organization participation ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFCTU, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat,Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, PCA, UN,UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIBH, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNPREDEP, UNRWA,UNTAES, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Fayez A. TARAWNEH
chancery: 3504 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone : [1] (202) 966-2664
FAX: [1] (202) 966-3110

Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Wesley W. EGAN, Jr.
embassy: Jabel Amman, Amman
mailing address : P. O. Box 354, Amman 11118 Jordan; APO AE 09892-0200
telephone: [962] (6) 820101
FAX: [962] (6) 820159

Flag description three equal horizontal bands of black (top), white, and green with ared isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bearing a small white seven-pointedstar; the seven points on the star represent the seven fundamental laws ofthe Koran

NOTE: The information regarding Jordan on this page is re-published from the 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Jordan Government 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Jordan Government 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.