Muslim Brotherhood boycott Jordanian elections January 23, 2013 - 11:20 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Polling stations opened on Wednesday, January 23 in Jordanian elections boycotted by the Muslim Brotherhood, which says the electoral system is rigged in favor of tribal areas and against the large urban centers, Reuters said. Eyewitnesses reported queues of about a dozen people apiece at several polling stations across the kingdom just before the polls opened at 7 a.m. (0400 GMT). Officials appealed for a high turnout among the 2.4 million eligible voters, predicting Jordanians would disregard the Islamist call for a boycott. The boycott has reduced the election to a contest between tribal leaders, establishment figures and businessmen, with just a few of the 1,500 candidates running for recognized parties. Allegations of vote-buying are rife. Partner news  Top stories U.S. officials say they want to advance efforts to start talks between the Syrian government and opposition leaders. The international conference, backed by Russia and the U.S., aims to find a political solution to the conflict in Syria. Nuland, a career foreign service officer who was until recently State's top spokesperson, was expected to be nominated the post. Alkhatib said Assad should respond within 20 days and that he should then be given a month to dissolve parliament.   Partner news |  Latest news Israeli security expert says Syrian hacker attack foiled  Israel refuses to comment on the strike but officials at the time said Iranian missiles set for Hezbollah were hit.Gyumri to host Europe Day celebrations The celebrations will feature a small information fair, with EU project representatives to brief the visitors on the initiatives launched.1st Armenian interactive fairy tale available for iPhone/iPod Touch The tale sparked great interest in Diaspora. Such projects, namely interactive version of “Alice in Wonderland”, are popular abroad.Expert says Russian FM’s remarks in context of Madrid Principles No decisive developments will follow the meeting between Russian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers, David Jamalyan said. |
