Ammon News - By Khetam Malkawi

AMMAN - Over 400 students have registered to run for this month’s University of Jordan (UJ) student council elections, a UJ official said on Sunday.

Abdel Karim Qudah, UJ vice president and head of the election organising committee, said a total of 444 students declared their candidacy, 93 of whom are female students.

He added that on Tuesday, the committee will announce the accepted and rejected applications for the elections, scheduled for December 17.

According to election regulations, only those who have successfully finished 12 accredited academic hours in a bachelor’s degree programme and six hours in a master’s programme can run for elections.

In addition, undergraduate candidates must have a minimum accumulative grade point average of 2.0 on a four-point scale, 2.5 for those enrolled in postgraduate studies.

University regulations also prevent those with disciplinary records from running for elections.

According to Qudah, this year the UJ administration increased the number of council seats from 83 to 95.

“We allocated 12 seats for the university's branch in Aqaba and allocated another seat for the women’s studies department,” Qudah noted.

According to committee regulations, students can start campaigning on December 12 and are not allowed to hang posters and banners in the classrooms, labs, doors, windows and at the UJ’s administration.

Islamist students announced on Saturday that they will participate in this year’s student council elections.

Last year, 406 candidates competed in the elections, forming the first “fully elected” student council in nearly a decade.

Previously, half of the council members were appointed by the university president, with the reminder be elected by UJ students.

Qudah noted that a media centre equipped with computers and Internet access will be available all day for the use of journalists covering the elections. (Jordan Times)