Jordan's Parliamentary Elections Held Amid Gaza Conflict

[Suyuti]

On September 10, 2024, Jordanian women cast their votes for parliamentary elections at a polling station in the Al-Baqaa Palestinian refugee camp near Amman, Jordan.
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The parliamentary election, which took place against the backdrop of ongoing conflict in Gaza and a decline in tourism, marked the first since 2022 reforms expanded the legislature, adding more seats for women and lowering the minimum age for candidates.

The Gaza war has overshadowed the election, with many voters and candidates indicating that the conflict was a significant issue. Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh expressed hope that the war would not impact voter turnout, referring to it as "this brutal Israeli aggression."

The Independent Election Commission, led by chairman Musa Maaytah, anticipated a turnout similar to previous elections, around 30 percent. The polls closed at 7:00 p.m. local time (1600 GMT), with a reported turnout of approximately 32 percent.

European Parliament observer Zeljana Zovko reported that the voting process was "going smoothly," although analysts had expected a high rate of abstention due to the Gaza conflict, which began with Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel.

Jordan's 1994 peace treaty with Israel remains a contentious issue, given that approximately half of Jordan's population is of Palestinian origin. The situation has been exacerbated by recent violence, including a shooting at a Jordanian-Israeli border crossing just before the election, marking the first such incident since the 1990s.

The ongoing Gaza conflict continues to impact Jordan's economy, particularly the tourism sector, which is crucial to the nation's GDP. With public debt approaching $50 billion and unemployment reaching 21 percent early this year, economic concerns are high.

Candidates in the election include tribal leaders, centrists, leftists, and members of the Islamic Action Front (IAF), Jordan's largest opposition group affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood. Over 5.1 million Jordanians are registered to vote in a country of 11.5 million people.

Omar Mohammed, a 43-year-old civil servant, expressed that the Gaza situation overshadowed the election, making it difficult to focus on local issues. IAF candidate Saleh Armouti highlighted the significant impact of the Gaza war on the elections, while Oraib Rantawi from the Al Quds Center for Political Studies noted that although turnout might be affected, significant gains for Islamist candidates were unlikely.