Jordan discusses obtaining democratic partner status with EU

 Jordan on Monday discussed drafting a report on itsapplication to obtain the “Democratic Partner” status with the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.This issue was the focus of a meeting between Deputy Chairman of the Jordanian Independent Elections Commission, Riyad Al Shaka’a, and Deputy Chairman of the Political and Democratic Affairs Committee at the EU assembly, Josette Durrieu.Al Shaka’a spoke about the Commission, noting that it was a result of the recent constitutional amendments, noting that its mandate is to supervise and conduct the parliamentary elections and any other election decided by the cabinet.He also briefed the visiting EU official about the achievements of the Commission since its establishment in 2012, noting that it has already supervised parliamentary and municipal elections, which took place in the course of the same year. Durrieu, on her part, briefed the Jordanian official regarding the role of the Council of Europe to preserve peace in Europe, ensure rule of law and respect for human rights.She also spoke about the Council’s desire to help Middle Eastern countries seeking democracy in order to promote democracy and consider them as partners in the democratic process.