40. Memorandum From the Officer in Charge of Israel-Jordan Affairs (Bergus) to the Director of the Office of Near Eastern Affairs (Wilkins)1
SUBJECT
- The Jordan Parliamentary Elections and Preliminaries Thereto2
The 1954 Jordanian Parliamentary (actually Chamber of Deputies) elections were rigged in favor of pro-government candidates. Civil disorders resulted and many of those responsible for the rioting were jailed. The population was extremely dissatisfied with the results and the British were held responsible for the government interference. Thereafter there was more or less continuous agitation by Jordanians, especially the Palestinian element, for dissolution of Parliament and new free elections. This agitation reached its zenith during the riots which were touched off last winter by General Templar’s visit to Amman seeking Jordan’s adherence to the Baghdad Pact. Immediately prior to the resignation of Prime Minister Hazza Majali (who favored Jordan’s joining the Baghdad Pact) in December 1955, which was forced by the rioting, the King dissolved Parliament. Subsequently, the King had misgivings about the wisdom of this move and in early January 1956 the High Court of Jordan was asked to decide whether the dissolution had been constitutional. The court held that the dissolution was invalid (the dissolution decree not having been signed by the appropriate Minister) and the former Parliament was reinstated. This brought on the January series of riots in which law and order throughout Jordan completely broke down. Order was eventually restored but then, on March 1, the King fired Glubb and a wave of nonviolent pro-Egyptian and anti-Western sentiment once more swept the country.
On May 21, a government was formed by Said Mufti who was morally committed to seek dissolution of Parliament. A decree of dissolution was issued by the King on June 26 and, in accordance with the Constitution, elections were scheduled for October 21.
These elections have now been held and as a result three communists, running on a National Front ticket, have been elected. [Page 58] In addition four other extremists have been elected and 19 of the total 40 members of the new Parliament are anti-Western. Nine of those elected are considered neutrals some of whom would be willing to jump aboard a pro-Egyptian anti-Western band wagon. The twelve pro-Westerners elected are considered weak. Thus for the second time in history communists have been elected to an Arab Parliament. The previous example is the 1954 election of Khalid Bakdash to the Syria Parliament.
It is difficult to predict the trend of the Jordan Government until the new cabinet has been formed. This should take place within the next few days. Cabinet members need not be members of Parliament and rarely are. The Parliament does not have great influence over the acts of the government or the King but it does have more than nuisance value. However, there are only a handful of potential Prime Ministerial candidates most of whom are a shopworn lot having served as Prime Minister many times in the past. A sufficiently vigorous Prime Minister who had both the confidence and support of the King could probably effectively negate the effect of the extremists and their followers in Parliament. Unfortunately none such exists. However since no dependable ESS offer to supplant the British subsidy seems likely to be forthcoming in the immediate future, it would appear that despite the pressure of the street no Government will be able to do more than call for revisions of the British treaty. It is likely that Jordan will rock along for some time to come much as it has in the past but with increasing Egyptian influence being felt in the country. The point of diminishing returns must fast be approaching for the British and whether they will desire to continue the subsidy must be dependent upon the effect an abrogation of the treaty and withdrawal of the subsidy, followed by a probable partition of Jordan, would have on the British position in other areas of the Near East.3
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 785.00/10–2556. Secret. Drafted by Blackiston. A note attached to the source text, October 26, from Wilkins to Rountree and Berry, reads: “For your information when you have a spare moment. A useful summary of the Jordan situation”. An additional notation from Rountree reads: “Many thanks. Very interesting plus useful.”↩
- Elections were held on October 21. On October 29 a new government, led by Prime Minister Sulayman al-Nabulsi, leader of the National Socialist Party, was formed.↩
- On October 27, the Embassy in Amman conveyed its impressions of the recent Jordanian elections. According to the Embassy, the new Parliament was anti-Western in character, and any future dealings with the Jordanian Government would be difficult if not impossible. (Telegram 390; Department of State, Central Files, 786.5/ 10–2756)↩