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Ammon News - From Amal Ghabayen and Muhammad Khawaldeh

AMMONNEWS - Individuals on Wednesday afternoon fired gunshots in Al Jiza district south of Amman, while others in Karak blocked major roads in protest of the municipalities merging decision ahead of the Municipalities elections slated to take place in December.

In Jiza district, which is within the Um Al Rassas municipality, the Salayta tribe in several smaller villages gave the government an ultimatum until Wednesday evening to meet their demand to disengage the towns, nearly 10 years after they were merged into Um Al Rassas municipality.

The tribe threatened in a statement issued on Wednesday morning to block the main international desert highway that connects with the southern governorates and Aqaba if the disengagement demand is not met.

Members of the tribe had set up a protest tent near the main highway after they blocked it Tuesday evening for over five hours, only to reopen it after receiving assurances from deputy chief of the Public Security Directorate and head of the Royal Badia Forces, and the King's Advisor for Tribal Affairs Sharif Fawaz Zaben to meet their demand.

Government institutions, businesses and public schools in the villages in Um Al Rassas municipality were closed on Wednesday due to the chaos in the area over the municipalities decision, Salameh Salaytah, a local resident told Ammon News.

Elsewhere in Muwaqqar municipality, members of Al Jbour tribe blocked the main road towards Al Azraq in protest of the merging of their villages with Muwaqqar.

Local residents protested and blocked main roads, burning rubber tires, leading to clashes with public security forces attempted to disperse the crowds.

Eye witnesses said that protestors blocked vehicles from passing through the main highway, threatening them with guns and shooting gunshots in the air.

In Karak governorate, local residents blocked the main road in Median and Marwed villages near Mu'tah University and hurled rocks and prevented vehicles from passing through the main road.

The recent announcement of holding the municipalities elections in December stirred criticisms in various areas in the kingdom, with local residents blasting the 10-year old municipalities merger project, citing "negligence" of small and remote villages after they were merged with key municipalities.