AMMAN — More than 1.3 million Jordanians had voted
by 5pm Tuesday, to elect heads and members of municipal councils, members of
governorate councils, and two-thirds of the Greater Amman Municipality Council.
اضافة اعلان
Independent Election Commission (IEC) spokesman
Mohammad Rawashdeh told
Jordan News that by the time of writing the report, the
voter turnout in Ajloun governorate was the highest, while in the capital it
was the lowest.
He said that the elections were proceeding according
to plan. He also said that “some individual irregularities were found, and the
commission is ready to receive complaints at any time during the electoral
process,” stressing that violators may be referred to the judiciary.
Prime Minister
Bisher Al-Khasawneh cast his vote at
Tayseer Zabian School in Amman. He told
Jordan News that he was happy to
exercise his civic right to vote, stressing that this was the first general
election after the Committee to Modernize the Political System issued its
outputs, and that the ballot box is the right way to contribute to the
decision-making process.
Khasawneh also pointed to the role of municipal
elections in decentralization, and stressed the need to elect the right person
who represents the aspirations of citizens, as this will help the development
process.
“We are on the threshold of a new and real
development process, and participation in the elections is a national
responsibility,” he said, encouraging citizens to participate in the elections.
Director of the Civil Alliance for Election
Observation
Amer Bani Amer confirmed that a number of violations were
committed, most notably attempts to cause riots in a number of governorates,
especially in the Ma’an governorate, but “the security services quickly took
control of the situation”.
At a press conference held at the headquarters of
the “Rased” operations room, Bani Amer said that 223 electoral violations were
reported in all governorates of the Kingdom, like “taking photos of ballot
papers as evidence that the voter had voted for a particular person”.
However, vote buying “was minimal compared to
previous years”, Bani Amer told
Jordan News.
While visiting a number of voting venues in various
areas of Amman from the early morning hours until the afternoon, this reporter
noticed low voter turnout.
Head of Jamil Shaker School Center Ahmad Rahhal told
Jordan News that the electoral activity was weak, stressing “that it is
necessary for all citizens to participate in order for the electoral process to
succeed”, and that “this is a constitutional right that all citizens should
take advantage of”.
Najah Atta Ahmad, a voter, told
Jordan News that
casting one’s ballot is a constitutional right, stressing that “I am fully
convinced that the person I voted for is the right person and that is why I
voted for him”.
“I believe that we have to be part of the change,
and I insist on participating in all elections,” she added.
Raeda Bisharat, head of Dahiyat Al-Hussein School
Center, told
Jordan News that while the voter turnout seems low, things are
organized and the electoral process is going smoothly.
“This is a national duty and we all have to
participate in it, especially since each of us has a specific role to play,”
she said.
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