Legislative in Jordan: a poll against the backdrop of Covid-19 in a country in crisis

View of Amman, the capital of Jordan (illustrative image).

Getty Images / Valery Sharifulin / Contributor

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

Some 4.5 million Jordanian voters are called to the polls this Tuesday, November 10 to appoint the 130 deputies of the kingdom during the legislative elections.

Parliament has a very limited role in Jordan and this election is taking place against the backdrop of a serious economic crisis made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Last July, the Jordanian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood was officially dissolved.

The Islamist movement is still presenting candidates on Tuesday, under the banner of the Islamic Action Front which, with 17 seats, had the largest group in the outgoing Parliament.

Beyond labels, deputies have a very limited role in Jordan where it is the king who appoints the prime minister.

This was the case last month when

appointed Bisher al-Khawasneh as head of a government supposed to tackle the growing crises in the country.

The kingdom is heavily in debt and on a drip from the International Monetary Fund.

In recent years, rising inflation and unemployment

to demand wage increases.

The economic and social crisis is worsening with the Covid-19 pandemic which deprives Jordan of revenue from tourism, a vital sector in a country without natural resources.

The health situation could weigh on participation in legislative elections.

The measures have already curtailed the election campaign, during which gatherings of more than 20 people were not allowed.

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