Jordan: Vote-buying MPs could evade conviction

Speculation is mounting that Jordanian MPs accused of paying for votes during last month’s elections, may evade conviction. Although a group of MPs were arrested after the election for allegedly buying votes, a leading lawyer in the case, Dr Leith Nasrawin, told Arabstoday that the current law in Jordan is not equipped to punish them. "Despite arresting some of the accused members of the House of Representatives, it does not necessarily mean the case will go to trial. It will be difficult but the prosecution should continue in order to bring them to justice,” Nasrawin said Nasrawin also pointed out that the MPs could only be stripped of their parliamentary duties and forced to leave the House of Representatives if they were sentenced to prison for more than a year. Commentators within the country are watching to see how the current government, led by tribal leaders, pro- Abdullah loyalists and businessman, handle the corruption highlighted last month. The head of state, King Abdullah, has repeatedly reassured the Jordanian public that the country is on the “roadmap to democracy” after experiencing widespread protests during the “Arab Spring” which saw four regimes toppled in the last two years.