Jordan sets January date for elections

Jordan\'s Independent Elections Commission Jordan\'s Independent Elections Commission (IEC) announced on Tuesday the next parliamentary elections will take place on January 23 2013. The IEC also announced that the application for candidacy will begin on December 22 for three consecutive days. Around 2.3 million voters have registered for the polls without the participation of major opposition groups. Most notably the Muslim Brotherhood, who demanded a change in the elections law, but their demands were turned down by the government.
There are no exact figures on the number of eligible voters, but it’s reported there are more than three million; half a million are expatriate Jordanians who work in Gulf countries.
The registration process from August 7 until Sunday October 14 went \"smoothly\", according to Civil Status and Passports Department (CSPD) Director Marwan Qteishat. Officials described the outcome as a success and an indication of the public\'s support for \"reforms\".
The CSPD will provide the IEC with a preliminary voter list in a few days, according to IEC Spokesperson Hussein Bani Hani.
The IEC said it carefully selected members to form a committee that is balanced and qualified to manage elections.
All public employees, including ministers, who wish to run for elections have to resign 60 days before October 22, according to Article 11 of the Elections Law.
Opposition parties urged the government on Tuesday to suspend elections and launch a national dialogue for a \"democratic law of elections.\"
The committee which convened on Tuesday in Amman said the newly appointed government is \"blocking the way to true reforms.\"
US military in Jordan, allegedly searching for chemical weapons obtained by the Syrian regime, are a threat to Jordan’s interest and national security, it added.