Minister of Political and Parliamentary Affairs Wajih Azaizeh has emphasized the importance of enhancing youth and women's participation in political and partisan life, seizing the historic opportunity presented by the existing strong and fortified framework for such engagement.
His remarks came during his recent meeting with a group of young men and women taking part in the "Parliamentary Fellowship", one of the projects implemented by the King Abdullah II Fund for Development (KAFD). The Fund's Director, Mazen Tabbalat, and the Secretary-General of the Ministry, Dr. Ali Al-Khawaldeh, were present.
Azaizeh explained that the success of the political modernization drive requires societal interaction, to go side by side with the Royal visions and the efforts of His Majesty the King and HRH the Crown Prince, who follow up on the implementation of the outputs of the Royal Committee for the Modernization of the Political System. He pointed out that a sound political structure leads to proper legislation, which, in effect, dispels the community's concerns regarding engagement in political and partisan action.
He also noted that the path of political modernization has come about through consensus among all parties, integrated with other modernization tracks, including economic and administrative reforms. These three paths, he said, are characterized by inclusivity and collaboration within action programs that are linked to tools of implementation and monitoring on the ground.
Regarding constitutional amendments, the minister said the aim of such changes is to align the outcomes while maintaining the integrity of the political path in terms of national security, political action practices, and finding appropriate constitutional channels to overcome all challenges and obstacles. He noted that the threshold provision levied on local and national electoral lists is one of the prudent practices aimed to preserve votes from the negative consequences of dispersion.
Azaizeh added that a political party is an integrated social structure concerned with all aspects of life. The relevant visions, he said, become clearer to citizens, who choose the parties that represent their orientations after the parties rectify their situations in line with the Political Parties Law.
For his part, Tabbalat said that the meeting came as part of a series of such encounters arranged by the Fund between the young men and women participating in the "Parliamentary Fellowship" project and decision-makers. The aim, he explained, is to acquaint these youth with the work mechanisms of government institutions and independent bodies. He pointed out that the project is a golden opportunity for young people to engage in political and parliamentary life, and to learn about the stages of legislative and oversight work.
He emphasized that youth are the assets of the future, and they have a significant role in strengthening partisan action to ensure that it is built on solid and sound foundations. He urged young men and women to transfer the knowledge gained during the project to their peers in the community and to interact with all societal issues.
He pointed out that KAFD is working on enriching the "Parliamentary Fellowship" project with experiences from the Senate, in addition to the current interaction with the Lower House, while seeking to retain the largest number possible of young men and women participating in this project.
A broad discussion followed, covering several issues, mainly the qualitative leap in the Electoral Law, which has seen the inclusion of national party lists. They also discussed ways to unify all efforts to achieve the main goal of political modernization, the role of the Ministry of Political and Parliamentary Affairs in enhancing the participation of women and youth in political and party life, especially in the governorates, partisan activities within higher education institutions, and the need to launch initiatives in the governorates concerned with educating and promoting youth's engagement in partisan action.
The meeting was attended, from KAFD, by Director of Media and Communications and Acting Director of Programs and Initiatives Rama Rawash, Director of Communication and Community Awareness Program Ashraf Al-Khawaldeh and Program Coordinator Zaid Al-Zoubi. From the Ministry, it was attended by Minister's Advisor and Ministry Media Spokesperson Al-Mu'tamad Al-Jawazneh, Director of the Department of Civil Society Affairs Naifa Al-Louzi, Head of the Community Participation Enhancement Unit, and Head of the Youth Unit at the Department of Civil Society Affairs Qusai Al-Zoubi.