Parliament Continues Discussion of Local Administration Draft Law Today
Al-Taj News –
The House of Representatives will continue, during a legislative session on Monday, discussing the articles of the Local Administration Draft Law of 2026, which consists of 70 articles.
The draft law comes in line with the outcomes of the Royal Committee to Modernize the Political System, the objectives of the Economic Modernization Vision, and the roadmap for public sector modernization. It also reflects His Majesty King Abdullah II’s directives to the government, as outlined in the Royal Letter of Designation, to review and improve the legislative framework governing local administration, as well as the government’s commitments in its ministerial statement in this regard.
The draft law followed a series of intensive consultations conducted by the government with parliamentary blocs and lawmakers, the President and members of the Senate, and various relevant sectors, as well as former ministers of municipalities, sector experts and specialists. It also took into account all ideas and proposals presented, along with the findings of opinion polls and studies conducted.
The draft law focuses on strengthening governance in the local administration sector, linking it to development, expanding community participation, enhancing accountability and oversight, and improving the quality of services provided to citizens. It also focuses on shifting municipalities from traditional service-oriented work toward a broader and more effective developmental and investment role by emphasizing strategic and urban plans linked to citizens’ priorities and stimulating local economies in the governorates.
The draft law clarifies roles and defines responsibilities between the municipal council, as the body responsible for setting policies and strategies, making decisions, and overseeing their implementation, and the executive and administrative apparatus, as the body responsible for preparation and implementation, thereby strengthening accountability and preventing overlap in their respective powers.
It maintains the democratic process stemming from the Political Modernization Document by retaining direct and secret elections for the municipal council president and its members using two separate ballots, while introducing measures to enhance the integrity of the electoral process. It also strengthens the role of the executive administration in planning and implementation by enabling it to prepare and implement strategic, executive, urban, development, and service plans and submit them to the municipal council, allowing the council to follow up, oversee, and hold the executive administration accountable.
The draft law also retains the requirement to appoint a “Municipal Executive Director” to lead the administrative and executive apparatus, enhancing the efficiency of municipal operations, promoting automation and digital transformation, and contributing to improved services for citizens. The conditions for appointment, duties, powers, and termination of service will be determined under regulations issued for this purpose.
The draft law also expands the powers of the mayor and strengthens the mayor’s role in monitoring service quality and stalled projects, as well as coordinating with official and service entities and the local community, without affecting the powers of the municipal council or the executive apparatus.
