Jordan witnesses relative majority for parliamentary democracy.

Jordan witnesses relative majority for parliamentary democracy.

 According to a study released on Monday in Amman 4 in 10 Jordanians prefer a democratic system in which the winning majority in Parliament forms a government.

The study, conducted on a national sample of 1,200 people in November by the Centre for Strategic Studies (CSS) at the University of Jordan, revealed that at least 40% of Jordanians would prefer to see a government based on parliamentary election results.

 

 The poll revealed  that 17% supported a system in which elections are held, but the government is formed by political elites, while another 17% preferred a technocratic system, 14% supported the Shura system advocated by the Muslim Brotherhood, and 12% preferred a one-party state. Approximately 30% of respondents said an authoritarian system in which a “political elite” is chosen to form governments is “unsuitable” for the Kingdom.

 

Results illustrated that the relative majority of Jordanians prefer a parliamentary political system based on competitiveness and alternation of power.  Around 47% of respondents believe theparliamentary system is best to tackle corruption, while 43% said it will help fight unemployment.

 

The results of this survey confirm an increased confidence among the public in the democratic system and a lack of confidence in the authoritarian system. In a study conducted in 2007 study, around 14% of respondents expressed confidence in the ability of authoritarian systems to tackle corruption, in comparison to 5% in 2008 and 2% in 2009.

 

Moreover, the study showed a steady increase in the Jordanian public’s confidence in democracy since 2001, when the level of confidence registered at 4.9 out of 10. The study attributed the rise in confidence in democracy to increased freedom of assembly and expression.

 

Another reason for the increased confidence in democracy, according to the study, was the absence of incidents indicating a declining level of democracy, such as political arrests, the dissolution of political parties and organizations, or other repressive measures.

The study also revealed that 77% of respondents believed freedom of press to be the most guaranteed form of freedom in the Kingdom, as opposed to 66% in the 2008 study.