Cautious move: Jordanians elect new Parliament under revised rules

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 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 Daesh extremists who control large areas in neighboring Syria and Iraq. In holding regular, orderly elections, Jordan seeks to strengthen its image as an island of stability in the region.
Polls have indicated widespread voter apathy, predicting more than half of potential voters won’t cast a ballot, despite the participation of the Brotherhood.
More than 4 million Jordanians were eligible to vote for a 130-member Parliament, with 15 seats reserved for women, nine for Christians and three for minority Chechens and Circassians. By late afternoon, with just over an hour before polls were to close, about 1.17 million votes had been cast.
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.
Elsewhere in central Amman, 71-year-old Othman Abu Felah said he didn’t bother voting because “it doesn’t help anything.” Katrina Sammour, a political researcher, said she would cast a blank ballot in protest because she believes Parliament is weak and no party or list addresses her concerns.
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.

Sourc: Arab News