IEC refers two cases of voter bribery in Ajloun to prosecutor general

AMMAN — The Independent Elections Commission (IEC) has referred two cases to the general prosecutor on charges of attempting to influence the will of voters with money in the Ajloun Governorate. 

“The IEC received complaints that one of the citizens in Ajloun was offering to sell several voters’ ballots in his area,” according to the IEC’s website. 

In another case, the IEC said that one of the voters was reportedly “offering his ballot for sale on social media platforms”. 

“Both cases were investigated and once the IEC got the proof the general prosecutor’s office was contacted for legal action,” the IEC stated.

Meanwhile, the IEC stated that 39 violations related to campaign advertisements have been registered so far. The IEC set the Parliamentary elections for September 10 (Tuesday). 

On April 24, His Majesty King Abdullah ordered the holding of the elections for the House of Representatives, by the law. 

IEC officials have recently said that the expected number of voters in the upcoming parliamentary will reach 5 million. 

Officials have also said that the IEC will work to facilitate polling stations with equipment that would suit people with physical disabilities to facilitate their participation in the electoral process. 

In 2022, the Senate and the Lower House passed the 2022 amendments to the Political Parties Law, which require political parties to increase the percentage of women and youth to at least 20 per cent within three years after their foundation.

There should be no less than 1,000 founding members of political parties, and at least 10 per cent should be women and young people between 18 and 35 years old, according to the new law. 

The law also allows university students who join political parties to engage in partisan activities on campus without any infringement on their rights, as a bylaw will be issued to regulate such activities. 

It also stipulates that the party shall hold a founding conference within a year after meeting the requirements, where no less than a third of the party’s 1,000 founders shall attend, and must represent at least six governorates.

During a visit in late April to the IEC, King Abdullah urged the IEC’s board of commissioners and staff to work to ensure the success of the electoral process, calling for zero tolerance of any violations.