Jordan's king orders reform of controversial election law

AMMAN: Jordan’s King Abdullah II on Tuesday ordered his government to amend the country’s controversial election law and ensure a “transparent” vote, a day after he dissolved Parliament. “We instruct the government to immediately start planning for parliamentary elections, which should be transparent and fair, reflecting Jordan’s reform drive,” the king told Prime Minister Nader Dahabi in a letter, a palace statement said.

“We instruct you to take all necessary measures for that purpose, including amending the elections law and developing all aspects of the electoral process,” it said.

Abdullah was quoted as saying the lower house of parliament “plays a key role in achieving comprehensive development in the country.”

The king dissolved Parliament on Monday and ordered a general election two years early, after months of press criticism of the ineffectiveness and in some cases alleged corruption of MPs.

The outgoing Parliament elected two years ago, which was dominated by independent and tribal MPs who are loyal to the king, had become increasingly unpopular.

It was the second time the king has dissolved Parliament early since he acceded to the throne in 1999.

The 1993 controversial one-person-one-vote electoral law has since been under constant attack by opposition parties, trade unions, politicians and the media.

They say the law produced lawmakers with tribal affiliations, instead of MPs who truly represent the people.

“We hope the king’s decision is the start of comprehensive political reform to elect a lower house of parliament in line with a modern electoral law,” said the Islamic Action Front (IAF), the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood.

“The one-person-one-vote system has proved that it was a failure,” he said.

Only six of the 22 candidates fielded by the IAF were victorious in the last general election on November 20, 2007, a tally sharply down on the 17 seats it won in 2003.

After the 2007 vote, the IAF charged that there had been widespread vote-buying in some constituencies despite pledges of transparency from the government.