‘An effective parliament is the basis of a full-fledged democracy’

AMMAN — EU Ambassador to Jordan Joanna Wronecka on Tuesday said there is no single model of democratic rule, even among established democracies, but there is a consensus that an effective parliament is the basis of a full-fledged democracy.

Wronecka made the remarks during the launch of an EU-funded project seeking to enhance the institutional and administrative capacity of the Lower House of Parliament.  

With democracy being a major value for EU-member states, she said empowering parliaments tops the EU’s assistance priorities out of its “deep belief” in legislatures’ inseparability from democracy and good governance.

Wronecka added that the 2014-2017 “Strengthening the Institutional and Administrative Capacity of the Lower House of Parliament” project will focus on supporting parliamentary committees’ engagement in dialogue with civil society, in addition to helping the Lower House Secretariat General establish a specialised unit for political dialogue with citizens.

The ambassador noted that the project is part of a larger EU programme which also covers civil society organisations and is centred on enhancing political dialogue, democracy and good governance.

Describing the project as “promising”, Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh said it would contribute to enhancing transparency, accountability and interaction between MPs and citizens, in addition to boosting women’s participation in parliamentary life.

Minister of Political and Parliamentary Affairs Khaled Kalaldeh, who attended the launch, said the project will contribute to enhancing the country’s reform endeavour and its democratisation process. 

The three-year project was the result of several months of joint dialogue between the EU and the Lower House, after which the EU and the government signed the agreement, according to the EU Delegation in Amman.

Spain-based Altair Asesores won the tender to implement the project, the implementation phase of which was designed through an inclusive approach that consisted of holding 49 work meetings and open discussions with 245 participants. 

These included lawmakers, Political and Parliamentary Affairs Ministry and Lower House staff, representatives of civil society organisations and independent researchers.