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 2 May 1953) head of government: Prime Minister Abd al-Salam al-MAJALI (since 19 March 1997) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the king elections: none; the king is a constitutional monarch; prime minister appointed by the king
Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-'Umma consists of the Senate (a 40-member body appointed by the king from designated categories of public figures; members serve four-year terms) and the House of Representatives (80 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms) elections: House of Representatives-last held 4 November 1997 (next to be held NA November 2001) election results: House of Representatives-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party - National Constitutional Party 2, Arab Land Party 1, independents 75, other 2 note: the House of Representatives has been convened and dissolved by the king several times since 1974; in November 1989 the first parliamentary elections in 22 years were held
Judicial branch: Court of Cassation
Political parties and leaders: Al-Ahrar (Freedom) Party, Dr. Ahmad
ZO'BI, secretary general; Arab Ba'th Progressive Party, Mahmoud
al-MA'AYTAH, secretary general; Arab Islamic Democratic Party (Doa'a),
Yousif ABU BAKR, secretary general; Arab Jordanian Ansar Party,
Muhammad MAJALI, secretary general; Arab Land Party, Dr. Muhammad
al-'ORAN, secretary general; Islamic Action Front, Dr. Ishaq
al-FARHAN, secretary general; Jordanian Arab Constitutional Front
Party, Milhem TELL, secretary general; Jordanian Ba'th Arab Socialist
Party, Tayseer al-HOMSI, secretary general; Jordanian Communist Party,
Ya'acoub ZAYADIN, secretary general; Jordanian Democratic Popular
Unity Party, Sa'eed MUSTAPHA, secretary general; Jordanian Labor
Party, Muhammad KHATAYIBAH, secretary general; Jordanian Peace Party,
Dr. Shaher KHREIS, secretary general; Jordanian People's Democratic
Party (HASHD), Salem NAHHAS, secretary general; Jordanian Unitary
Democratic Party, Mousa al-MA'AYTAH, secretary general; Al-Mustaqbal
(Future) Party, Suleiman 'ARAR, secretary general; National Action
Party (Haqq), Muhammad ZO'BI, secretary general; National
Constitutional Party, Abdul Hadi MAJALI, secretary general; National
Democratic Public Movement Party, Muhammad al-'AMER, secretary
general; Progressive Party, Na'el BARAKAT, secretary general; Al-Umma
(Nation) Party, Ahmad HNEIDI, secretary general
International organization participation: ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF,
CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB,
IFAD, IFC, IFCTU, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM
(observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, MONUA, NAM, OIC, PCA, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIBH, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNPREDEP, UNRWA, UPU,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Marwan Jamil MUASHIR chancery: 3504 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 966-2664 FAX: [1] (202) 966-3110
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Wesley W. EGAN, Jr. embassy: Jabel Amman, Amman mailing address: P. O. Box 354, Amman 11118 Jordan; APO AE 09892-0200 telephone: [962] (6) 820101 FAX: [962] (6) 820159