World
In the election in Jordan, voters are more focused on unemployment than Gaza
The Muslim Brotherhood has campaigned on opposition to the Gaza war, but analysts say it won’t be as decisive a factor in parliamentary elections as high unemployment.
Updated 2024-Oct-06 09:00
A woman in a black dress standing at a polling station.
Previous parliamentary elections in Amman and other cities saw low turnout with voters questioning if participating would impact their lives.
Ameen Halaseh 61 a retired civil engineer voted early motivated by the possibility of strong political parties shaping government policy in the future.
Jordanians support the king and the Hashemite family but the legislature should reflect the people s desires he said.
Shahd Fawzi a 30 year old medical doctor in the capital expressed skepticism about the ability of the candidates and parties in the recent elections to bring about significant change.
On the other hand the new law introduced by the government and Parliament aims to lay the groundwork for future generations to experience genuine elections.
Some of the changes she desired included increased freedom to express opinions and higher representation of women in politics.
Voters went to the polls for a parliamentary election in the Arab kingdom of Jordan on Tuesday with domestic concerns such as unemployment high on their agenda although an Islamist party has tried to ride a wave of popular anger about Israel’s war in Gaza to challenge the pro Western government.
The election was held under a new system introduced in 2022 that aims to promote democratization and increase the role of political parties while reducing the influence of tribes on national politics.
Under the system candidates for the 138 seats of the lower house may now run under national parties rather than as individuals.
Parliament’s upper house as well as key government posts are selected by King Abdullah II. The polls closed at 7 p.M. Local time and the state news agency put turnout at around 31 percent. The results are expected overnight or early on Wednesday.
The political arm of the opposition Muslim Brotherhood which had boycotted previous elections used that opportunity to try to win votes campaigning on a platform of opposition to the Gaza war and support for an end to cooperation between Jordan and Israel on security and for establishment of a Palestinian state.
Many Jordanian citizens are of Palestinian origin and the country contains the largest proportion of Palestinian exiles anywhere.
However for now she stated I don t think voting has any advantages. ImageCandidate posters are displayed on vehicles and above cables in the Baqaa refugee camp near Amman for Palestinians.
Credit goes to Khalil Mazraawi Agence France Presse Getty Images. 7 there have been numerous large pro Palestinian protests following Hamas attack on Israel that sparked the conflict in Gaza.
The Jordanian government has criticized Israel s actions in the conflict and has restated its stance that moving Palestinians from the West Bank would be seen as an act of war.
The nation is a significant partner of the US in the region and works closely with Israel according to the Jordanian government.
