1. LOCAL GOVERNANCE IN JORDAN: A MUNICIPAL PUBLIC OPINION POLL OF CITIZENS IN IRBID,MADABA & KARAK Dr. Musa Shteiwi Jordan Center for Social Research

2. 2 Contents Poll Objectives Poll Description Poll Outcomes

3. 3 Poll Objectives This Poll aims to examine citizens’ opinions on the following issues concerning their municipalities: Public opinion on the general direction of each municipality. The most important challenges facing municipalities. Attitudes toward local governance. Degree of satisfaction with the services provided by municipalities, including public services and utilities. Evaluation of the performance of the current council as compared with previous councils. The reasons behind complaints about local services. Attitudes toward women’s participation in municipal councils. The criteria that should apply to municipal council candidates.

4. 4 Poll Description Sample Size: 1500 individuals; 500 from each municipality; Madaba, Irbid and Karak; who are 18 years or older, randomly selected from each municipality (50% male and 50% female). A random cluster sample included 25 sites in Madaba and Karak and 50 sites in Irbid. The frame of 2004 census was used. The poll was conducted on January 3-7, 2006. The field work for this poll was conducted by Middle East Marketing and Research Consultants. This poll was supported by the International Republican Institute (IRI).

5. 5 Presentation of the Poll’s Most Important Findings

6. 6 Municipality MADABA%IRBID%KARAK% 62.066.053.6 Things are going in the right direction 34.825.840.0 Things are going in the wrong direction 3.08.06.4 Not Sure/Do not know (NS/DK) 0.2 0 Refused to answer 100 Total Are things going in the right or wrong direction in your municipality?

7. 7 Municipality % KARAKIRBIDMADABA Road paving and maintenance 16.819.010.8 Street cleaning 15.613.412.0 Incompetent, inefficient employees 9.66.010.2 Public health supervision 7.27.03.4 Municipality ’ s financial deficit 6.44.45.6 Favoritism, Wasta6.62.26.8 Poor street lighting 5.22.01.6 Weak public transportation 3.81.22.4 Water shortages 1.03.61.8 Shortage in number of employees 1.40.63.6 Bureaucracy 2.80.42.0 Electricity cut off 2.00.01.4 High taxes, high fees for construction licenses 1.02.40.6 Garbage collection 1.20.80.4 No problems 12.622.022.2 Don ’ t know/ others 6.815.015.2 The most important problem facing your municipality? (open ended question)

8. 8 Which of the following methods do you support for selecting a mayor and municipal councilors?

9. 9 Which council was more successful in performing its tasks: the previous (elected) council or the current (appointed) council?

10. 10 In 2001, small municipalities were incorporated into larger ones. Were you with the incorporation or against it at the time?

11. 11 Are you with the incorporation now?

12. Municipality % KARAKIRBIDMADABA Provide better services 63.161.756.3 Increase financial resources for the municipality 16.212.512.1 Efficiency in solving problems10.811.312.6 Decrease tribal conflict5.88.112.6 Other reasons1.75.21.3 No reason0.401.3 Don’t know2.11.23.9 Total100 Why did you support the incorporation at the time?

13. Municipality % KARAKIRBIDMADABA Worsening of services52.246.846.2 Unequal services between municipalities27.023.426.0 Lack of division of labor3.05.311.2 Inefficiency in completing transactions2.67.42.7 Others3.93.72.7 Increased taxes and violations0.44.83.6 Unbalanced budgets5.20.51.3 Don't know2.21.13.6 The mayor comes from outside area1.31.11.8 Long distance between municipalities1.32.70.4 No reason0.93.20.4 Total100 Why were you against the incorporation at the time?

14. 14 To what degree are you satisfied with the following services in your municipality? Municipality % KARAK %IRBID%MADABA % Construction licensingSatisfied 4947.458.6 Not Satisfied 29.432.423.6 Business licensingSatisfied 4747.862.2 Not Satisfied 1922.417.6 Road paving and maintenance Satisfied 48.260.855.6 Not Satisfied 49.837.643.4 Street cleaningSatisfied 57.67158.2 Not Satisfied 41.42941.8 Street lightingSatisfied 57.682.665.4 Not Satisfied 40.629.234.4 Health supervision of shops and factories Satisfied 53.868.460.4 Not Satisfied 33.82230.6

15. 15 To what degree are you satisfied with the following services in your municipality? Municipality % KARAKIRBIDMADABA Garbage collection Satisfied 69.477.466.6 Not Satisfied 29.221.833.2 Public health supervision/ Disease control Satisfied 63.877.662 Not Satisfied 29.217.635.8 Building and regulating public markets Satisfied 53.86661.8 Not Satisfied 4330.632 Building and maintaining public parks Satisfied 28.844.445.4 Not Satisfied 66.451.449.6

16. 16 Which council performed its tasks better: the current (appointed) council or the previous (elected) council? Municipality % KARAKIRBIDMADABA Construction licensingCurrent Council 39.237.036.0 Previous Council 32.831.836.2 Business licensingCurrent Council 40.439.638.0 Previous Council 24.427.635.6 Road paving and maintenance Current Council 49.459.041.0 Previous Council 33.626.841.4 Street cleaningCurrent Council 54.061.843.6 Previous Council 30.823.238.4

17. 17 Municipality % KARAKIRBIDMADABA Street lightingCurrent Council 50.463.544.0 Previous Council 30.222.836.4 Health supervision of shops and factories Current Council 47.456.042.0 Previous Council 25.223.233.6 Garbage collectionCurrent Council 58.862.844.0 Previous Council 24.823.437.8 Public health supervision/ Disease control Current Council 51.458.640.2 Previous Council 27.421.637.8 Which council performed its tasks better: the current (appointed) council or the previous (elected) council?

18. 18 Municipality % KARAKIRBIDMADABA Constructing and regulating public markets Current Council 48.255.942.4 Previous Council 23.321.633.0 Building and maintaining public parks Current Council 38.044.232.0 Previous Council 22.220.435.0 Which council performed its tasks better: the current (appointed) council or the previous (elected) council?

19. 19 Municipality (% yes) KARAKIRBIDMADABA Construction licensing 21.619.818.0 Business licensing 10.29.2 Road paving and maintenance 44.032.640.0 Street cleaning 34.019.631.8 Street lighting 37.613.831.6 Health supervision of shops and factories 20.46.218.6 Garbage collection 25.017.424.4 Do you have complaints about the following services in your city?

20. 20 Municipality (% yes) KARAKIRBIDMADABA Public health supervision/ Disease control 20.65.021.4 Constructing and regulating public markets 31.617.014.0 Building and maintaining public parks 58.837.229.0 Do you have complaints about the following services in your city?

21. 21 Municipality % KARAKIRBIDMADABA Home Construction licensing Higher cost65.755.644.4 Longer time for completion13.029.338.9 Favoritism, Wasta17.612.111.1 Other3.73.05.6 What is your specific complaint about the following services?

22. 22 Municipality % KARAKIRBIDMADABA Business licensing Longer time for completion19.626.150.0 Higher cost23.543.521.7 Increased difficulty in granting license 17.613.021.7 Wasta17.62.20 Other reasons13.710.94.3 No answer7.84.32.2 What is your specific complaint about the following services?

23. 23 Municipality % KARAKIRBIDMADABA Road paving and maintenance Poor road paving and maintenance75.981.077.0 Slow in completion11.410.416.0 Poor road planning5.51.83.5 Narrow roads2.31.81.5 Wasta1.42.51.0 Others3.62.51.0 What is your specific complaint about the following services?

24. 24 Municipality % KARAKIRBIDMADABA STREET CLEANING Lack of cleanliness 72.976.554.7 Poor follow up 18.213.323.3 Shortage in garbage collecting staff 7.1 12.6 No garbage bins 1.21.09.4 Others 0.62.00 What is your specific complaint about the following services?

25. 25 Municipality % KARAKIRBIDMADABA Street lighting Inadequate68.173.963.3 Poor maintenance24.523.230.4 Electricity cut off7.41.45.7 No answer01.40.6 Garbage collection Irregular garbage collection51.256.345.1 Inadequate number of garbage collectors24.018.433.6 Inadequate garbage pins, vehicles12.813.89.8 No supervision and monitoring8.86.99.0 Others3.24.62.5 What is your specific complaint about the following services?

26. 26 Municipality % KARAKIRBIDMADABA Public health supervision Inadequate use of pesticides59.260.045.8 General lack of concern for public health27.228.043.0 Chicken, animal farms near residential areas 3.94.07.5 No awareness campaigns7.800.9 Others1.94.01.9 No answer04.00.9 What is your specific complaint about the following services?

27. 27 Municipality % KARAKIRBIDMADABA Health supervision of shops and factories Poor supervision and monitoring of establishments 88.274.293.5 Unqualified health care staff6.9-3.2 Others4.922.6- No answer-3.2 What is your specific complaint about the following services?

28. 28 Municipality % KARAKIRBIDMADABA Constructing and regulating public markets Poorly organized markets42.463.160.6 There are no markets51.922.629.6 Public Markets are far away5.14.85.6 Others0.68.32.8 No answer01.21.4 What is your specific complaint about the following services?

29. 29 Municipality % KARAKIRBIDMADABA Building/maintaining public parks Public parks not available96.688.291.0 Poor maintenance for existing ones2.46.54.8 Others1.05.44.1 What is your specific complaint about the following services?

30. 30 Municipality % KARAKIRBIDMADABA Telephone Services Satisfied 86.688.484.2 Not Satisfied 7.88.69.6 Water Services Satisfied 79.878.679.4 Not Satisfied 19.821.420.4 Electricity Services Satisfied 79.293.883 Not Satisfied 20.46.216.8 Public Transportation Satisfied 62.87967.2 Not Satisfied 362031.2 To what degree are you satisfied with the following services in your municipality?

31. 31 Municipality % KARAKIRBIDMADABA Sewage System Satisfied 54.668.266 Not Satisfied 44.429.428 Postal Services Satisfied 7980.277 Not Satisfied 13.211.215.6 Education Services Satisfied 78.283.882.6 Not Satisfied 21.616.217 Health Services Satisfied 86.88687 Not Satisfied 11.81312 To what degree are you satisfied with the following services in your municipality?

32. 32 Have you ever contacted a municipal council member (in person or by phone) about issues that are important to you or to your community? Municipality % KARAKIRBIDMADABA Yes 29.216.627.2 No 70.083.472.8 Do not remember 0.20.0 Total 100 Municipality % KARAKIRBIDMADABA Yes 9.06.86.6 No 90.893.293.0 Do not remember 0.20.00.4 Total 100 Has a municipal council member ever contacted you (in person or by phone) about issues that are important to you or to your community?

33. 33 Did you vote in the last municipal elections in 2003? Municipality% KARAKIRBIDMADABA Yes 66.059.664.0 No 33.639.835.6 Do not remember 0.40.60.4 Total 100

34. 34 Municipality % KARAKIRBIDMADABA Not interested15.419.528.3 Age18.916.714.7 Lack of confidence in candidates16.610.014.1 Outside country12.615.77.1 Military personnel12.08.18.7 No time3.412.93.3 Personal reasons5.74.87.6 Others8.02.97.1 Was not aware of the election date2.94.83.8 No reason4.01.94.3 Refused to answer0.62.91.1 Total100 Why did you not vote in the last municipal elections?

35. 35 Do you intend to vote in the upcoming municipal elections? Municipality % KARAKIRBIDMADABA Yes 69.875.673.0 No 24.017.620.6 Do not sure 5.26.66.0 Refused to answer 1.00.00.4 Unknown answer 0.00.20.0 Total 100

36. 36 Do you agree with the following forms of women’s political participation in your municipality?

37. 37 Municipality % KARAKIRBIDMADABA Residing within the locality Important 85.683.488.4 Not important 14.216.211.2 ReligiosityImportant 8483.875.8 Not important 15.81624.2 Good record in public service Important 94.49594.6 Not important 5.24.65 Holder of a university degree Important 8682.686.6 Not important 13.817.213.2 There are a number of criteria that people think are important for a candidate who wants to run for election in your municipality. How important do you think each of these criteria is?

38. 38 Municipality % KARAKIRBIDMADABA puts public over personal interest Important 98.699.499.6 Not important 0.20.4 Political affiliationImportant 48.650.647.6 Not important 49.64850.8 To be a maleImportant 42.445.848.2 Not important 57.45451.6 There are a number of criteria that people think are important for a candidate who wants to run for election in your municipality. How important do you think each of these criteria is?

39. 39 Municipality % KARAKIRBIDMADABA To be youngImportant 57.258.667.6 Not important 42.841.232.2 Good reputationImportant 98.698.298.6 Not important 1.41.61.4 A member of your family or tribe Important 28.631.830 Not important 71.46870 There are a number of criteria that people think are important for a candidate who wants to run for election in your municipality. How important do you think each of these criteria is?