Report: Vote-buying Influenced Jordan’s Parliamentary Elections

An election official wearing a protective mask empties a ballot box following Jordan’s parliamentary elections (File photo: Reuters)
An election official wearing a protective mask empties a ballot box following Jordan’s parliamentary elections (File photo: Reuters)
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Report: Vote-buying Influenced Jordan’s Parliamentary Elections

An election official wearing a protective mask empties a ballot box following Jordan’s parliamentary elections (File photo: Reuters)
An election official wearing a protective mask empties a ballot box following Jordan’s parliamentary elections (File photo: Reuters)

Vote-buying had an impact on Jordan’s parliamentary elections and their results, according to a local report.

Al-Hayat Center for Civil Society Development, which monitors the polls through its program Rased, issued last week its report on the 2020 parliamentary elections.

The report was prepared by 3,000 observers who tracked the electoral process in all its stages, in collaboration with 252 civil society institutions distributed over all districts.

It revealed a number of complaints relating to interventions of “official and semi-official bodies” before the deadline for candidate withdrawals from the polls, which directly or indirectly affected the ballots.

In addition, the report noted that nine complaints on “vote-buying” were referred to the security services while 42 others were referred to the public prosecutor for investigation.

“All cases referred to the prosecutor by the Independent Elections Commission have been backed by enough evidence.”

The report stated that the lengthy litigation in the complaints contributed to "weakening the citizen's confidence in the adequacy of legislation and practices in prosecuting the violators and contributed to increasing vote-buying cases."

In addition, Rased observers noted a tangible weakness in the application of electoral procedures and instructions among members of electoral committees in all districts.

They indicated that the discrepancies in the application of procedures led to heightened tensions during the final counting stage.

Several data entrants made various mistakes, given that the input process was broadcast live for the attendees, prompting a number of candidates to lose confidence in the committees, according to the report.

The publication of the report coincided with statements of King Abdullah II who affirmed to Petra news agency that “we must revisit laws regulating political life, such as the election, political parties, and local administration laws, and continue political development efforts.”

The monarch stated that the goal for many years has been to reach a platform-based political party scene that reflects the ideology and leanings of Jordanians, and carries forward their concerns and national causes, and works towards achieving their aspirations by conveying their voices and bringing their representatives to parliament.

Observers linked between the King’s statements and the possible dissolution of the current parliament in preparation for early elections based on a new electoral law.

The polls were held last November according to a list system based on proportional representation within the 23 electoral districts distributed over all Jordanian governorates and regions.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh, Senate President Faisal al-Fayez, and Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament Abdul Muneim Odat stressed the need to cooperate to put the King's vision into practice.

During their meeting, the officials agreed that authorities should open channels of communication with civil society institutions, municipalities, local communities, and political parties to upgrade political legislation, including the elections, political parties, and local administration laws.



Sudanese Ex-Minister to Asharq Al-Awsat: We’re in Contact with Trump Administration on Ways to End the War

Leading member of Sudan’s Sumoud alliance and former Minister Khalid Omer Yousif. (Khalid Omer Yousif on X)
Leading member of Sudan’s Sumoud alliance and former Minister Khalid Omer Yousif. (Khalid Omer Yousif on X)
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Sudanese Ex-Minister to Asharq Al-Awsat: We’re in Contact with Trump Administration on Ways to End the War

Leading member of Sudan’s Sumoud alliance and former Minister Khalid Omer Yousif. (Khalid Omer Yousif on X)
Leading member of Sudan’s Sumoud alliance and former Minister Khalid Omer Yousif. (Khalid Omer Yousif on X)

Leading member of Sudan’s Sumoud alliance Khalid Omer Yousif revealed that the coalition is in contact with the Donald Trump administration to end the two-year war in Sudan.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Yousif, a former minister of cabinet affairs in ex-Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok’s government, praised British and European countries that will hold in London on Tuesday a conference to discuss means to end the war in Sudan.

The conference, called for by Britain, Germany and France, will be attended by the foreign ministers of 20 countries and also tackle efforts to help the millions of Sudanese people who have been displaced by the conflict.

The British organizers have excluded the warring parties from attending the meeting, but a delegation from Sumoud, the country’s largest coalition of civilian parties and forces, has been invited. Sumoud is led by Hamdok, who has been on a visit to Britain for a few days now.

The London conference is a “positive step” in uniting international efforts towards Sudan given that its conflict - despite its enormity - has been overshadowed by the wars in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Ukraine, Yousif remarked.

He confirmed that contacts are ongoing between Sumoud and the warring parties: army commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) leader Mohammed Hamdan Daglo.

Moreover, Yousif said that the United Nations has estimated that Sudan needs USD6 billion to confront its humanitarian needs in 2025, but so far only 4 percent of that amount has been collected.

He stated that Sumoud has made several proposals aimed at ending the war, including holding a meeting between the UN Security Council and African Union Peace and Security Council, holding another donor conference, and launching African-sponsored political dialogue.

Hamdok has sent these proposals to UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Yousif revealed.

International division

Yousif lamented that the international community appears divided over how to approach Sudan, stressing however that the solution should come from the Sudanese people themselves.

“The responsibility lies primarily with them,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.

He acknowledged, however, that the regional and international division “surrounding us is complicating the crisis and making it harder for the Sudanese to reach solutions.”

“So, we have communicated with the international community to make solutions easier for us, and not to obstruct them. This is at the heart of our communication with the international community,” he explained.

Moreover, he warned that the “war no longer threatens Sudan alone. But it has become a danger to the security of the region, especially with the presence of terrorist groups in some neighboring countries.”

The war has effectively started to impact the security and stability of neighboring countries, and similar conflicts to the ones in Sudan have started to erupt there, he remarked.

Sudan is connected to several strategic regions – the Sahel, Sahara, Red Sea and North Africa – so its war not only threatens the Sudanese, but the region and so it is in the interest of the international community to stop it, Yousif urged.

US role under Trump

On the role the Trump administration can play in resolving the war, the former minister said: “We hope the administration can develop a clear vision over how to help the Sudanese end the conflict.”

He hoped that as the US exerts efforts in ending conflicts across the globe, that it would apply these same efforts in his country.

“Successive administrations have made positive statements towards the Sudanese people and they have worked on reaching negotiated solutions” between them, he noted.

Hope despite the destruction

Yousif said he remains hopeful that the war can be stopped despite the massive losses in life and destruction in the country.

“We hope the Sudanese people will shun violence and turn to solutions to their differences through dialogue and peaceful means,” he stressed.

He revealed that he derives his hope from the growing awareness among the people that peaceful means are the way forward in ending the unrest.

He acknowledged, however, that the war has caused deep divisions among the people and is threatening the fragmentation of Sudan.

These divisions are “the greatest threat facing the unity of the country,” he went on to say.

Ending the fighting and engaging in serious dialogue between the Sudanese parties is the only way to maintain the country’s unity and sovereignty, he added.