Jordanians vote in election overshadowed by war in Gaza

Jordanians went to the polls Tuesday in a parliamentary election overshadowed by the war in Gaza and concerns over a slump in tourism, a sector vital to the kingdom's economy.

It is the first vote since a 2022 reform increased the number of seats in the house, reserving more for women and lowering the minimum age for candidates.

Despite these efforts to modernise the legislature, voters and candidates said the Gaza war dominated the election.

After casting his vote, Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh expressed hope that turnout would not be affected by "this brutal Israeli aggression".

"We hope that the vote will be high and befitting this national occasion," he said.

Analysts predicted a high abstention rate, with candidates struggling to harness public anger over the devastating war sparked by Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel.

Jordan signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994, becoming only the second Arab state to do so after Egypt, but around half its population is of Palestinian origin, and protests calling for the treaty's cancellation have been frequent since the war erupted.

Tensions escalated further just two days before the election when a Jordanian gunman killed three Israeli guards at the border crossing between Jordan and the occupied West Bank -- the first such attack since the 1990s.

This has fuelled voters' concerns the ongoing war will continue to strain the kingdom's economy until Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas reach a ceasefire.

"The situation, frankly, is going from bad to worse in terms of job opportunities, and the salaries are low with long working hours," said 21-year-old engineering student Fayez al-Disi.

Jordan has seen a decline in tourism since the war began -- a sector it relies on for about 14 percent of its gross domestic product.

Compounding the country's economic woes, public debt has neared $50 billion and unemployment hit 21 percent in the first quarter of this year.

Candidates include tribal leaders, centrists, leftists and Islamists from the country's largest opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated Islamic Action Front (IAF).

Results were expected within 48 hours of the close of polls at 7:00 pm (1600 GMT).

In a busy market in central Amman, where campaign posters were on display, views on the vote in the lead-up to polling day were mixed.

"People are busy with many things, the Gaza war and the bad economic situation," said shopkeeper Mohammed Jaber. "They do not know what the parties will be able to achieve."

• World