Jordan Times
Friday, November 2, 2007
2.455 million citizens
eligible to vote in polls
By Khalid Neimat
AMMAN - A final list of voters issued by the Civil Status and Passports
Department indicated that 2.455 million citizens are eligible to vote in the
parliamentary elections scheduled for November 20, Elections Spokesperson Saad
Shihab said on Thursday.
“This is a final and filtered list of those who are eligible to vote,” he noted.
Meanwhile, five candidates announced their withdrawal from the parliamentary
elections on Thursday, increasing the total number of candidates who pulled out
of the race to 12 since the beginning of the registration process late last
month.
Four of the most recent withdrawals were running for election in Karak and
Ajloun. There currently are 984 parliamentary candidates throughout the Kingdom.
Shihab said the ministry did not receive any objection against any candidate,
adding that the withdrawals were voluntary.
The names of the officially registered candidates were published in daily
newspapers on Thursday and a date was set for the beginning of the objection
period, which will end on Saturday, according to the Elections Law.
Also on Thursday, the Interior Ministry said it had formed 59 committees to
supervise polling and vote-counting during the elections for the 15th
Parliament.
Each committee’s members consists of a judge and senior officials, Shihab told
The Jordan Times, noting that Interior Minster Eid Fayez will head the higher
committee, which will oversee the elections process at the national level.
Twelve central committees, headed by governors, will supervise the voting
process and other issues relating to the election in each of the Kingdom’s 12
governorates, Shihab said.
In addition, the ministry formed 45 constituency committees to manage the
elections in each electorate, Shihab said, noting that another committee was
formed to deal with vote counting for additional seats that were designated for
women under the quota.
Meanwhile, on a programme aired by Radio Jordan yesterday, Prime Minister Marouf
Bakhit said the government will arrange visits for civil society establishments
to the polling centres, to observe the election process.