Jordan charges five with vote buying

Wed, 27 Oct 2010

Amman - The Jordanian security authorities on Wednesday charged five people with vote buying, spokesman Samih Mayata said.

Maayta, who doubles as political adviser to Prime Minister Samir Rifai, said that the move reflected the government's "seriousness in dealing with election crimes, including vote buying and selling."

If convicted the accused could face seven years in jail, according to an amendment added recently to election law.

It is the first time the security authorities in the country have charged anyone with vote manipulation.

A total of 854 candidates, including 144 women, have registered to compete in the parliamentary elections scheduled for November 9.

The state-funded National Center for Human Rights (NCHR) acknowledged that vote buying and other irregularities marred the 2007 elections.

The country's main opposition group, the Islamic Action Front, is boycotting the poll, claiming that the government has failed to provide adequate assurances that the polling process "will not be rigged."

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/350705,charges-five-vote-buying.html.