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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Pro-government loyalists sweep Jordan election |
| 2010-11-11 |
| [Emirates 24/7] Jordanians voted in large numbers to elect a parliament dominated by pro-government loyalists, with 13 women winning seats, after a boycott by opposition Islamists, official results showed on Wednesday. In the new 120-member lower house, 78 MPs are newcomers, Interior Minister Nayef Qadi said, adding that 17 politicians are members of political parties. "Voters have showed their desire for change by electing new faces, which is a positive thing," Taher Masri, president of Jordan's appointed Senate, or upper house, told AFP. "People chose those who are professional in public work, and they did not vote for those who have focused on their personal interests and not parliamentary work." The house, with a strong showing by tribal-linked candidates, will have 13 women MPs. Reem Badran, an economist and daughter of a former premier, won a seat in Amman outside a quota system which reserves 12 seats for women. "This parliament will be manageable by the government," said Mohammed Momani, a political science professor at Yarmuk University. "The lower house is likely to react to the government and its initiatives and follow its lead." The government on Tuesday announced a 53-percent turnout, similar to the figure recorded in the elections of 1989, when Jordan launched the democratic process. Prime Minister Samir Rifai said the turnout showed that "the boycott did not have an impact on voting," but the Islamist camp doubted the high turnout figure and also made charges of vote-buying and fraud. "In my opinion the actual turnout did not exceed 30 percent," said Hamzah Mansur, leader of the Islamic Action Front (IAF), Jordan's main opposition party. |
| Posted by:Fred |