More than 800 candidates for the Jordanian legislative elections
Jordan, Politics, 5/22/2003

The Jordanian minister of the interior Qaftan al-Majali announced that 821 candidates have registered to take part in the legislative elections due to be held on June 17 in Jordan, while former Jordanian member of parliament Toujan al-Faisal, whose nomination was rejected, is preparing to appeal against this decision.

In a statement, the minister stressed that 821 candidates including 11 women registered to take part in competition for 110 seat at the parliament.

But Toujan al-Faisal, the first Jordanian woman elected as a member of parliament in Jordan from 1993 to 1997, rejected the decision of the central committee for elections, and stressed she will appeal the decision, according to her lawyer Saleh al-Armouti. The chairman of the elections committee Abdul Karim al-Malahema confirmed the decision in rejecting her nomination because "she was sentenced to one and a half years imprisonment for a non- political crime," which is a violation for the nomination conditions to the membership of the parliament, according to the provisional elections law no. 34 for 2001.

The legislative elections were postponed repeatedly and the authorities justified that to the difficult situation in the region.

On February this year, the Jordanian king ordered to allocate 6 parliamentary seats to women thus increasing the parliament's seats to 110.

Previous Stories:
  Jordan: nomination for elections started, Toujan al-Faisal prevented   (5/20/2003)
  Jordanian government declare intention not to postpone the elections   (4/19/2003)
  King Abdullah meets with Sharon   (3/10/2003)

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