Ammon News - Ahead of the Jordanian parliamentary elections slated for Nov. 9, political analysts believe that turnout rates will not be any higher than previous elections, saying convincing people to go to the polls is a major challenge that both the government and candidates face.
Some political analysts believe that the turnout rate is expected to be even lower than the previous elections in 2007, citing a widespread belief among Jordanians about the inefficiency of the house in the decision-making process and that the allegations of vote-rigging and vote buying in the 2007 elections are still alive in the memory of people.
Mohammad Abu Rumman, political analyst and a columnist at Al Ghad Daily, said the upcoming legislative elections represent a double challenge for the government as it seeks to ensure impartiality and a proper turnout percentage.
"The turnout rate in main cities in the Kingdom is expected to be weak and limited as a result of the boycott of the Islamic Action Front, the largest opposition party," said Abu Rumman.
He added that the turnout is expected to be weak, as the government has taken several procedures to prevent the transfer of votes from one district to another and criminal vote buying.
"Most of the exit polls that the turnout will not be different than previous elections and most probably will be lower, " Abu Rumman said.
"Impartiality is the theme of next elections regardless of the turnout rate and any suggestions to increase the turnout rate in the last hours of the elections might destroy all previous efforts to ensure the impartiality of the elections," Abu Rumman added.
The government stated that it has been working intensively by launching several campaigns across the country to encourage people to go the polls.
According to official figures, the overall turnout in the 2007 elections stood at 55 percent, representing a 3.8 percent decline from the 2003 parliamentary polls.
The government indicates that the number of voters eligible to cast their ballots in Tuesday's elections stands at 2,373,576 voters distributed in the country's 12 governorates.
The Jordanian government wants people to cast their ballots to elect a "strong and efficient" 16th Lower House that is capable of addressing key issues at the country's level and plays its legislative and constitutional role effectively, Elections Spokesperson Samihy Maaytah said in press remarks recently.
In November 2009, King Abdullah II of Jordan dissolved the 15th Lower House and ordered transparent and free elections to the 16th lower house of parliament.
The Jordanian leader gave no reason for the decision, but political analysts said the lower house was inefficient in handling legislation. Critics have also accused the previous lower house of failing to address major issues such as unemployment and poverty.
Even the public was not satisfied with the performance of the previous lower house and some others called for its dissolution in a poll in early 2009 before the dissolution occurred.
In a 2009 report by Jordan's Center for Strategic Studies, 53 percent of Jordanians said they were not satisfied with the performance of the House in general and 56 percent were not satisfied with performance of the deputies representing them. In the same report, one quarter of the population said they support dissolving Parliament before its term ends.
Political analyst Fahed Khitan said the turnout is expected to be around the average, while in the capital it will not exceed 30 percent, adding that candidates face problems in Amman as they have first to convince people of the importance of voting.
"People are not encouraged to vote as they believe that the lower house is inefficient in the decision-making process and they still remember the previous experience in 2007. The impact is expected to be evident in Amman, Zarqa and Irbid," said Khitan.
He said the government is worried about low turnout rates and has launched several efforts and campaigns to encourage people to go to the polls, adding that the number of candidates running for the elections this year stands at 763, which is lower than those running for elections in 2003 and 2007.
Ahmad Al Hourani, a columnist at Al Rai daily, said the elections represent a democratic approach in the Kingdom, adding that the participation of citizens is key to stress on democracy in the Kingdom.
"The upcoming elections stresses Jordan's commitment to enhance pluralism, democracy, respect for human rights, development and ensuring equity among Jordanians and involving them in the development process," said Al Hourani.
"Making progress in the development process in the Kingdom requires the participation of all Jordanians," Al Hourani added.
* Xinhua
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