New parliament elected in small reform maneuver
AMMAN, Jordan — Jordanians voted Tuesday for a new parliament under revised rules that officials say are meant to strengthen political parties but are seen by some as a small step, at most, toward democratic reform.
The Muslim Brotherhood, the kingdom’s most organized opposition group, competed for the first time since 2007 but was not expected to win enough seats to challenge control of parliament by establishment candidates, including tribal representatives.
The vote comes at a time of regional turmoil, including domestic and external security threats to pro-Western Jordan by Islamic State extremists who control large areas in neighboring Syria and Iraq. In holding regular elections, Jordan seeks to strengthen its image as an island of stability in the region.
However, parliament is weak, with most powers remaining in the hands of King Abdullah II. Polls have indicated widespread voter apathy, predicting more than half of potential voters won’t cast a ballot, despite the participation of the Brotherhood.
In principle, more than 4.1 million Jordanians older than 17 were eligible to vote, but those presently abroad — about 1 million according to Momani — cannot cast ballots. The potential voter pool was half that size in 2013, when voters had to preregister and turnout reached 56 percent.
By the time polls closed at 8 p.m., nearly 1.5 million Jordanians had voted. Results were not expected before Wednesday, Momani said.
Voter Nour al-Ghwairi, 44, said she hoped the new parliament would tackle Jordan’s economic difficulties, such as rising joblessness, particularly among the young. “The country suffers from unemployment and other problems,” she said after voting in the Jabal Hussein neighborhood of the capital, Amman.
Tuesday’s election is being held under new rules that replace the “one man, one vote” system. The old method, in place since 1993, had discouraged the formation of political parties.
Critics said the latest electoral reforms have fallen short and are unlikely to lead to meaningful change.
Under new voting rules, voters chose candidates from lists in 23 electoral districts. In all, 1,252 candidates ran on 226 lists.