jordan pulse -

By Dr. Mahmoud Awad Al-Dabbas

A decision was made yesterday by the Party Court in the Workers' Party to approve the political bureau's decision to expel MP Dr. Mohammad Al-Jarrah from party membership due to several alleged violations, according to the party's perspective. As a result, he will automatically lose his membership in the House of Representatives. His seat will be filled by one of the young candidates who ran on the party's electoral list in the previous parliamentary elections within the general electoral district. This is because, under electoral law, the parliamentary seat belongs to the party, not to the individual representing it, if they were elected through the general electoral district rather than local districts.

It is important to note that, legally, the expulsion of MP Al-Jarrah will not be finalized until the Administrative Court issues a ruling confirming the decision. If approved, the Independent Election Commission will proceed with appointing his replacement from the party's electoral list in the last election.

In response to the party court's decision, MP Al-Jarrah has decided to take the matter to the Administrative Court in an attempt to annul the expulsion decision and secure the continuation of his parliamentary membership.

This case with MP Al-Jarrah could potentially be repeated with other MPs from two political parties, totaling forty MPs who gained their seats through party lists. According to electoral law, 41 parliamentary seats are designated for political parties, to be distributed based on the results of the general election, with specific criteria. In light of this, I anticipate that other political parties represented in parliament may seek to continue the process of expelling MP Al-Jarrah in an effort to set an example for other party-affiliated MPs, compelling them to comply with the decisions of their party leaders.

On the other hand, MPs who gained membership through party lists will likely hope that the Administrative Court does not uphold the party court's decision to expel Al-Jarrah, as it would send a message to their parties: attempts to expel them will not succeed.

This case represents a first-of-its-kind scenario between a political party and a member who was elected to parliament through the party list in the previous elections. It could open the door to a reevaluation of this new practice, leading to potential reforms from political and legal perspectives.

In conclusion, if the Administrative Court approves the Workers' Party's decision to expel MP Al-Jarrah, the result will likely be increased pressure on other party-affiliated MPs in parliament to conform to party decisions. However, if the court does not uphold the decision, it will signal to political parties that attempts to expel rebellious MPs will be unsuccessful. The outcome of the Administrative Court's decision will ultimately determine whether the political party leaders or the MPs have the upper hand.