Government (Jordan)
===================


     Long-form name:
         Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
     Type:
         constitutional monarchy
     Capital:
         Amman
     Administrative divisions:
         8 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Balqa', Al Karak, Al
         Mafraq, `Amman, At Tafilah, Az Zarqa', Irbid, Ma`an
     Independence:
         25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration;
         formerly Transjordan)
     Constitution:
         8 January 1952
     Legal system:
         based on Islamic law and French codes; judicial review of legislative acts
         in a specially provided High Tribunal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
         jurisdiction
     National holiday:
         Independence Day, 25 May (1946)
     Executive branch:
         monarch, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
     Legislative branch:
         bicameral National Assembly (Majlis al-`Umma) consists of an upper house or
         House of Notables (Majlis al-A`ayan) and a lower house or House of
         Representatives (Majlis al-Nuwaab); note - the House of Representatives has
         been convened and dissolved by the King several times since 1974 and in
         November 1989 the first parliamentary elections in 22 years were held
     Judicial branch:
         Court of Cassation
     Leaders:
       Chief of State:
         King HUSSEIN Ibn Talal Al Hashemi (since 11 August 1952)
       Head of Government:
         Prime Minister Zayd bin SHAKIR (since 21 November 1991)
     Political parties and leaders:
         approximately 24 parties have been formed since the National Charter, but
         the number fluctuates; after the 1989 parliamentary elections, King Hussein
         promised to allow the formation of political parties; a national charter
         that sets forth the ground rules for democracy in Jordan - including the
         creation of political parties - was approved in principle by the special
         National Conference on 9 June 1991, but its specific provisions have yet to
         be passed by National Assembly
     Suffrage:
         universal at age 20
     Elections:
       House of Representatives:
         last held 8 November 1989 (next to be held November 1993); results - percent
         of vote by party NA; seats - (80 total) Muslim Brotherhood (fundamentalist)
         22, Independent Islamic bloc (generally traditionalist) 6, Democratic bloc
         (mostly leftist) 9, Constitutionalist bloc (traditionalist) 17, Nationalist
         bloc (traditionalist) 16, independent 10
     Member of:
         ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
         ICC, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO
         (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OIC, UN, UNAVEM, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
         UNRWA, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO