AMMAN — Dozens of activists demonstrated in the southern region on Friday, urging authorities to postpone the upcoming parliamentary elections.
In a series of rallies in the southern cities of Karak, Tafileh and Mazar, independent, youth and tribal activists called on citizens to forgo the upcoming elections, tentatively set for December, activists said.
In a so-called “Friday of silence”, protesters also called for the resignation of Prime Minister Fayez Tarawneh’s government over what they describe as its “politics of rising prices”.
Political parties, professional associations, youth activist groups and even some tribes have announced boycotts of the upcoming elections over dissatisfaction with the Elections Law, which they say is “undemocratic”.
Activists specifically object to an article in the legislation restricting citizens to one vote at the district level, which they describe as a “carbon copy” of a one-person, one-vote electoral formula they claim puts political parties at a disadvantage.
Authorities have shown little willingness to delay the elections, and the government-launched voter registration last week.
Friday’s demostrations were the second in less than a month without the participation of political parties or professional associations, and marked a trend of low turnout for the country’s weekly protest movement, which has struggled to maintain momentum throughout the holy month of Ramadan.
Meanwhile, dozens of activists and free-speech advocates gathered at the Eighth Circle in west Amman to demand the release of Saud Ajarmeh, who was detained last month and has been indicted by the State Security Court prosecution of “carrying out illegal acts and incitement to undermine the Jordanian regime”.
According to United Press International, Ajarmeh has been on hunger stroke and was “in a bad health situation” last Thursday.
During the Friday evening protest, participants urged decision makers to end the policy of referring so-called political prisoners to the State Security Court.