“We welcome all local and international organizations to follow up the polling process,” Rifai said during a meeting with the country’s top security officials.

He urged the authorities to deal with all world human rights bodies “in a highly professional manner and to accord them all necessary facilities and support”.

Rifai pledged that his government would assume neutrality in dealing with candidates running for the November elections and warned against vote buying.

“The buying of consciences represents real corruption and should be stopped by all,” the prime minister said.

The country’s main opposition group, the Islamic Action Front (IAF), had decided to boycott the forthcoming elections, citing ”rigging” of the previous polls in 2007, including vote buying.

The Cabinet has introduced amendments to the election law to punish vote buyers, but the IAF said the government had failed to provide adequate assurances that the polling process would not be rigged again.

The state-funded National Centre for Human Rights (NCHR) acknowledged that the 2007 polls witnessed certain “irregularities.”

Interior Minister Nayef Al-Qadi said that his ministry had taken all measures to ensure a fair and smooth voting process.

A total of 854 candidates, including 144 women, had registered to compete for the lower house’s 110 seats, he said.