- AMMAN: Jordanian Prime Minister Samir Rifai on Sunday issued an ordinance prohibiting propaganda assistance by government departments and armed forces to candidates planning to run in the parliamentary elections slated for November 9, a senior official said.
The ban, which involved all departments, public institutions, municipalities, the armed forces and personnel of the Public Security Department, has the aim of ensuring "fairness and transparency" of the polling process, the Premier's political adviser Samih Maayta said.
In a related development, Jordan's National Center for Human Rights (NCHR) on Sunday set up a committee for monitoring the practices of candidates and voters, apparently to avoid irregularities reported in the previous polls in 2007, including the reported buying of votes.
The NCHR decided to form the panel after consultations of more than 50 civic society bodies which join hands to ensure fairness of the forthcoming elections.
King Abdallah II dissolved he lower house of parliament in November, two years before the completion of its four-year term amid accusations that the authorities had overlooked anti-democratic practices, including the buying of votes by businessmen who managed to win seats in the Housed of Representatives.