Jordanians Head to the Polls With Little Enthusiasm

Jordanians showed little enthusiasm for the elections on Wednesday, signaling a potentially low turnout, Fernande van Tets reports.
Officials count ballots after polls closed at a polling station in Amman January 23, 2013. Polling stations opened on Wednesday in Jordanian elections boycotted by the Muslim Brotherhood, which says the electoral system is rigged in favour of tribal areas and against the large urban centres. 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). REUTERS/Muhammad Hammad (JORDAN - Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS)
Officials count ballots after polls closed at a polling station in Amman, Jan. 23, 2013. - REUTERS/Muhammad Hammad
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Fernande van Tets
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AMMAN — “No, I am not voting” spits Khaled, a cabbie with eight children to feed. “They are all words and no action," he continues, echoing an often heard sentiment on the streets of Jordan.

Enthusiasm for these elections was low from the beginning, with the registration deadline being pushed back several times to amass more potential voters.

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