Election Commission, Higher Council Step Up Efforts To Empower Voters With Disabilities

Amman, Sept. 3 (Petra) -- His Royal Highness Prince Mired bin Raad, Chief Chamberlain and Chair of the Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, met Thursday with Independent Election Commission Chair Musa Maaytah to discuss ways to strengthen the political and electoral participation of persons with disabilities.

The meeting addressed measures to ensure their constitutional rights to run for office, vote, and participate in municipal council elections and political life.

Prince Mired stressed the importance of continuing to develop the joint strategic plan between the Council and the commission, building on lessons and achievements from previous electoral experiences.

He called for identifying strengths and areas for improvement throughout the electoral process, including early election preparations, voter education and awareness, access to electoral information, the readiness of polling centers, and capacity building for personnel involved in elections.

Such measures, he said, should ensure the independence of persons with disabilities and enable them to participate effectively and independently in the electoral process.

Prince Mired also stressed the need to base future efforts on clear data and indicators measuring the participation of persons with disabilities, which would help identify gaps, develop appropriate interventions and assess their impact.

He underscored the importance of involving persons with disabilities and their organizations in designing and evaluating procedures and measures related to their political and electoral participation.

Maaytah, for his part, stressed the importance of cooperation with all parties involved in implementing the electoral process, including security agencies and civil society organizations, given their role in facilitating and promoting electoral participation.

He also emphasized the need to incorporate the rights and requirements of voters with disabilities into all executive instructions and procedural guidelines governing the electoral process.

The Higher Council and the Independent Election Commission previously developed a three-year plan to enhance the political participation of persons with disabilities. The plan focuses on ensuring their participation in parliamentary and municipal elections, promoting their engagement in political parties and other areas of political life, building their capacities, and reviewing legislation governing political participation to ensure its compatibility with the rights of persons with disabilities.

//Petra// AJ

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