Jordan’s independent electoral commission today set September 10 as the date for parliamentary elections after King Abdullah said he hoped the elections would allow for political reforms, state media reported.
Abdullah, who visited the electoral commission before the announcement, said the election would be a major milestone in the effort to modernize the country’s political system under laws that encourage licensed parties to participate in multi-party elections.
The Constitution provides that elections are held four months later the end of the Parliament’s four-year term which officially ends in November. The previous elections were held in the country in November 2020.
The head of the Independent Electoral Commission, Musa Al Ma’itah, who announced the date of the election, said that at least 5 million voters are registered in its lists.
Elections are held as the country is suffering the consequences of the war in Gaza which has hit tourism, a mainstay of the economy, and has affected businesses.
Passions run high among Jordanians, many of whom are of Palestinian descent, and the country has seen some of the largest anti-Israel protests in the region.
Under the Constitution, most powers belong to King Abdullah, a staunch ally of the US, who appoints governments and can dissolve Parliament. Parliament can force the government to resign after a motion of no confidence, but it has been largely sidelined by successive governments.
Abdullah hopes newly formed parties will help pave the way for governments that come from parliamentary majorities.
The contest will be held under an electoral system that still favors tribal constituencies over more populous cities, which are highly politicized.
In previous elections, independent candidates and Islamists did not have much success: the 130 members of the House came mainly from tribal, centrist and pro-government factions.
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