Jordan sets September 20 as date for parliament vote

Amman: Jordan’s Independent Elections Commission has set September 20 as the date for parliamentary elections.

Thursday’s announcement came less than two weeks after King Abdullah II dissolved the old parliament, paving the way for a new vote within four months.

Voters will elect 130 members of parliament. Fifteen seats are guaranteed for women.

The election comes at a time when the main political opposition, the Muslim Brotherhood, is fractured and in disarray. Jordan also faces growing economic and security problems, caused in part by fallout from the conflicts in Syria and Iraq.

Political reforms have been on hold.

Instead, the outgoing parliament adopted constitutional amendments earlier this year that consolidate the king’s powers, giving him sole authority to appoint the leaders of the security services and members of the constitutional court.