Jordanians Vote for New Parliament
VOA News
09 November 2010
Jordanians are heading to the polls to select a new parliament, but one most observers say will be devoid of any real opposition.
More than 700 candidates are running for 120 seats in the lower house of parliament Tuesday. Almost all come from tribes or parties loyal to King Abdullah after Jordan's largest opposition group decided to boycott the vote.
Twelve of the seats are reserved for some of the more than 130 women vying for votes.
Jordan's biggest opposition group, the Islamic Action Front, is boycotting the election.
The group has been linked to the Muslim Brotherhood and complains new election rules unfairly diminish the value of votes from urban areas, where its support is strongest.
Jordan has been functioning without a parliament since King Abdullah dissolved the body last year following accusations of ineffectiveness.
About 2.5 million Jordanians - approximately 40 percent of the country's population - are eligible to vote.
Some of the issues of biggest concern to Jordanian voters during the election campaign have been Jordanian policy toward Israel and the country's struggling economy.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.
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