Islamic Labor Front boycotts municipal elections in Jordan
Jordan, Politics, 7/2/2003

The Islamic Labor Front party ( Hizb Jabhat al-Amal al-Islami), the largest Jordanian political parties decided to boycott the municipal elections which will be held by the end of July in protest of the provisional law according to which the elections will be made. This law is based on the government's appointing the chairman of the municipality and half members of the municipal council and making the elections only for half of the number of the members, in contrary to the law according to which the previous municipal elections were held in 1999. The previous law used to permit the elections of all members of the municipal council.

The deputy secretary of the Islamic labor front party Jamil Abu Baker said that the party decided to boycott the next municipal elections for the four coming years in protest of the provisional law which was placed by the government and states to appoint a chairman for the municipality and half of the members by the government.

Abu Baker said "we will not take part in chopped and non- democratic elections," describing the provisional law as non democratic and in contradiction with the principle of elections and the will of people. The party official called on the government to change this law as a precondition for participation.

The Islamic labor front party had scored great success in the municipal elections which took place in 1999 as 80 of his 100 candidates won the elections and could win the majority of main Jordanian municipalities seats in al-Zarqa, Irbid, al-Raseifa, al- Tafeila and al-Shajara.

After a while as from these elections, the Jordanian government merged several municipalities. A matter which provoked the protest of Islamists and their allies in the opposition and led to the withdrawal of the Islamists from several municipal council they had headed in protest of the merging decision which was followed by a provisional decision stated to appoint the chairman and half members of the municipal council of municipalities and making of elections for the second half.

Previous Stories:
  Acts of riots in Jordan over results of elections   (6/23/2003)
  Independents win majority of seats in Jordanian elections   (6/18/2003)
  Jordan: elections today, Islamists fear to be harassed   (6/17/2003)

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