Election posters and banners crowded the streets of the Jordanian capital Amman as the countdown to the country’s parliamentary elections began. The upcoming elections, scheduled for tomorrow, will be the country’s first using the amended electoral law, which allows political parties to submit lists. This marks a departure from the one-man one-vote system which the Kingdom has been adhering to since 1993. “The parliament is the gateway to political reform, whether we like this or not. Jordan is on the path towards political reform, some say we are moving slowly, others say we are moving fast, but it is going forward as it should. Certainly the parliamentary elections are the headline of reforms, as long as they take place on time and according to the constitution. Who is part of the parliament is the people’s choice. God willing, we will prove to the Jordanian public that these elections will be honest and impartial, without any interferences,” said Khaled Kalaldeh, Jordan’s Independent Election Commission Chief.
Among those participating in the elections is the Islamic Action Front, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood. The group had previously boycotted the elections held in 2010 and 2013. The Islamic Action Front is running as part of the Reform List, a coalition that includes independent figures including Christians, in an attempt to widen their appeal. Jordan’s main political opposition comes from the Muslim Brotherhood movement but it faces increasing legal curbs on its activities. The Brotherhood wants sweeping political reforms but stops short of demanding the overthrow of the monarchy in the Hashemite Kingdom. But analysts note that the majority of campaign slogans are economic or service based, rather than political or religious.