Amman, Aug. 17 (Petra) – The Lower House of Parliament on Monday
approved 12 articles of the 2026 Local Administration Law, which
comprises 70 articles, in discussions that focused on defining the
framework of local administration, municipal powers, urban
development planning and the relationship between elected councils
and executive administrations.

The House began with Article 1, which establishes the name of the law
and stipulates that it will enter into force 60 days after its
publication in the Official Gazette.

Moving to the law’s definitions, the House approved Article 2, adding
definitions for “taxpayer” and the “Municipal Urban Development
Observatory,” a digital platform designed to support municipal
decision-making, resource allocation, and urban and strategic
planning.

The House then approved Article 3, which establishes the main bodies
governed by the legislation, including municipal councils,
governorate councils, executive councils and joint services councils.

Building on this institutional framework, Article 4 defines
municipalities as public-benefit institutions with legal, financial
and administrative independence. It also sets out provisions
governing their establishment, boundaries, powers and elected
municipal councils.

The legislation then turns to the powers of municipal councils under
Article 5, which authorizes them to approve urban development plans
covering land use, infrastructure, transportation, waste management,
water and sanitation, stormwater drainage, and development, service
and investment priorities. The provision aims to support balanced and
sustainable urban development while aligning local plans with
national and sectoral priorities.

Articles 6 and 7, approved as presented in the draft, address
municipal functions and the responsibilities and operation of
municipal councils, respectively.

The discussion subsequently moved to governance and the conduct of
municipal officials. Under Article 8, municipal council presidents
and members must obtain prior approval from the Ministry of Local
Administration before traveling outside Jordan on official missions
or participating in training programs and workshops, while also
notifying the minister of special leave requests.

Articles 9 and 10, approved as presented in the draft, address
additional provisions governing municipal administration, operations
and financial and administrative responsibilities.

The House then turned to the appointment of municipal directors under
Article 11, approving an amendment that allows the elected municipal
council to select the director from among three candidates
shortlisted through a centralized, merit-based technical screening
process. The article also protects the employment rights of municipal
directors appointed before the law takes effect.

Article 12, the final article considered during Monday’s session, was
approved as presented in the draft, completing the House’s
consideration of the first 12 articles.

During the discussions, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Local
Administration Walid Masri clarified that municipal services are
provided to all residents within municipal boundaries regardless of
nationality, while voting and candidacy rights remain limited to
eligible Jordanian citizens. He also distinguished between residency
and the legal definitions of a voter and taxpayer.

The draft law, approved by the Cabinet on May 24 and referred to
Parliament for constitutional consideration, seeks to strengthen
local governance, expand public participation and accountability, and
shift municipalities from traditional service provision toward
broader development and investment roles.

In line with these objectives, the legislation clarifies the division
of responsibilities between elected municipal councils, which set
policies and priorities, and executive administrations, which prepare
and implement plans and projects. It also strengthens strategic
planning, digital transformation and oversight, while linking local
development priorities to national plans.

The remaining 58 articles will be considered by the House in
subsequent sessions.

//Petra// AJ