Independence: 25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under
British administration)
National holiday: Independence Day, 25 May (1946)
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
Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: King HUSSEIN Bin Talal Al Hashimi (since 11 August
1952)
head of government: Prime Minister Zayd BIN SHAKIR (since 8 January
1995)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch
Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly (Majlis al-'Umma)
House of Notables (Majlis al-A'ayan): consists of a 40-member body
appointed by the king from designated categories of public figures
House of Representatives: elections last held 8 November 1993 (next to
be held NA November 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (80 total) Muslim Brotherhood (fundamentalist) 16, Independent
Islamic bloc (generally traditionalist) 6, Radical leftist 3,
pro-government 55
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
Political parties and leaders: Al-'Ahd (Pledge) Party, Sec. Gen. 'Abd
al-Hadi al-MAJALI; Al-Ahrar (Liberals) Party, Sec. Gen. Ahmad
al-ZU'BI; Al-Hurriyah (Freedom) Party, Sec. Gen. Fawwaz al-ZUBI;
Al-Watan (Homeland) Party, leader 'Akif al-FAYIZ; Al-Yaqazah
(Awakening) Party, Sec. Gen. 'Abd al-Ra'uf al-RAWABIDAH;
Constitutional Jordanian Arab Front Party, leader Milhim al-TALL;
Democratic Arab Islamic Movement Party-Du'a', Sec. Gen. Yusuf Abu
BAKR; Democratic Arab Unionist Party-Wad, Sec. Gen. Anis al-MU'ASHIR;
Islamic Action Front (IAF), Sec. Gen. Ishaq al-FARHAN; Jordanian Arab
Democratic Party, Sec. Gen. Mu'nis al-RAZZAZ; Jordanian Arab Masses
Party, Sec. Gen. 'Abd al-Khaliq SHATAT; Jordanian Arab Socialist Ba'th
Party, Command First Secretary Taysir al-HIMSI; Jordanian Communist
Party (JCP), Sec. Gen. Ya'qub ZAYADIN; Jordanian Democratic Popular
Unity Party, Sec. Gen. 'Azmi al-KHAWAJA; Jordanian Democratic
Progressive Party, Sec. Gen. 'Ali 'AMIR; Jordanian National Alliance
Party, Sec. Gen. Mijhim al-KHURAYSHAH; Jordanian People's Democratic
Party-Hashd, Sec. Gen. Taysir al-ZIBRI; Jordanian Socialist Democratic
Party, Sec. Gen. 'Isa MADANAT; Pan-Arab Action Front Party, Sec. Gen.
Muhammad al-ZU'BI; Popular Unity Party-the Unionists, Sec. Gen. Talal
al-RAMAHI; Progress and Justice Party, Sec. Gen. 'Ali al-SA'D;
Progressive Arab Ba'th Party, Command Secretary Mahmud al-MA'AYITAH;
Al-Mustaqbal (Future) Party, Sec. Gen. Sulayman 'ARAR
Member of: ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent),
ITU, NAM, OIC, PCA, UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMIL,
UNOMOZ, UNPROFOR, UNRWA, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO