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