Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - The General Ifta' Department on Wednesday said that members of parliament's granting a confidence vote for the government in return for personal interests is "religiously prohibited."

In a statement to Ammon News, the department, charged with issuing religious Islamic edicts and opinions, said that it is religiously prohibited for a lawmaker to give a confidence vote in return for personal interests, such as "promises of appointing them as ministers or including them in the Senate."

"Whoever gives a confidence vote ought to give his or her vote to those whom they wish to be gathered with on the day of judgement," the Ifta' Department's response said, adding that "each official is responsible for their testimony before God."

The Department's edict came in response to allegations against members of the Lower House of Parliament, which granted on Tuesday confidence to Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour's government.

82 MPs voted in favor of the government, while 66 gave a no-confidence vote. 1 MP was absent, and the House Speaker abstained from voting in the 150-member House.

Allegations quickly stirred following the vote that some MPs gave their confidence vote after being promised personal gains by the government, including positions in the cabinet in the upcoming government reshuffle and seats in the Upper House of Parliament.