Vote counting underway in Jordan following parliamentary polls

Counting got underway in Jordan on Tuesday evening following the country’s first parliamentary election under a new law designed to improve representation.

While voter turnout was higher than in 2020, participation in the poll remained low.

The Independent Election Commission (IEC) said 32.25 per cent of the country’s over 5 million eligible voters had cast their ballots.

An IEC spokesperson said there had been no delays in the opening of polls, nor reports of major violations in any of the electoral districts.

Under the new electoral law,- the number of seats in the House of Representatives has been raised from 130 to 138.

This includes provisions to increase the quota for the representation of women and youths, with the minimum age for parliamentary candidates lowered from 30 to 25.

In a country where tribal affiliations still play a dominant role in politics, the electoral reforms are seen as a critical step in Jordan’s decade-long democratisation process.

While Islamists are likely to gain support in the polls because of anger over Israel’s war in Gaza, the vote is still widely expected to keep parliament in the hands of tribal and pro-government factions.

Final results are due to be announced before the weekend.