AMMAN - Iraqis residing in Jordan will be able to vote in their country's upcoming parliamentary elections under a decision announced by the government on Thursday.
According to Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications and Government Spokesperson Nabil Sharif, the government came to the decision under the directives of His Majesty King Abdullah in support of the political process in Iraq.
"The Jordanian government has accepted an Iraqi request to allow Iraqis in Jordan to take part in the upcoming elections in Iraq," he told The Jordan Times, noting that the move came as a response to a request made by the Iraqi High Electoral Commission through the Iraqi embassy in Amman.
"Jordan has and will continue to do all that it can to support Iraqi national reconciliation and to ensure security and stability in Iraq," he said.
"We are keen on allowing our Iraqi guests to take part in the political process in their country," Sharif added.
According to Sharif, polling centres will be established in and around the Iraqi embassy in Amman, and the voting process will be conducted by the embassy and the Iraqi government.
Sharif did not rule out the possibility that Iraqi polls may coincide with the Kingdom's upcoming parliamentary elections, stressing that the two would not conflict.
"This would cause no problem at all as it [Iraqi parliamentary elections] will be a matter handled by the Iraqi government through the Iraqi embassy," he said, stressing that the polls would not disrupt the Jordanian political process.
Iraqi Ambassador to Jordan Saad Hayyani told The Jordan Times he has yet to be informed of the government's decision, but expressed hope that Iraqis residing in the Kingdom would cast their ballots.
With the announcement, Iraqis told The Jordan Times they are "tentative" over their participation, expressing hope for a legislative branch that is responsive to their needs.
Um Houda, a retired schoolteacher from Basra, said that she is undecided whether to participate in the elections.
"I will only vote for a parliament that will allow me to go back home. I don't know if any of the candidates would provide that," said Um Houda, which is not her real name.
Muath, a 24-year-old who works at a fast food restaurant in Um Utheina, said that he has "low hopes" of having a say in the next Iraqi parliament.
"I am tired of sectarian fighting among Shiites, Sunnis, Christians and Kurds. That is not my Iraq," he said, noting that he has been living in Jordan for four years.
"If I do vote, I will vote to have my Iraq back," he said.
Iraqi parliament elections, which were slated for next month, have been stalled by Iraqi Vice President Tariq Al Hashemi's recent veto of a new proposed election law.
The central contention in the law is the allocation of seats in the parliament for Iraqis living abroad.
Jordan is home to roughly 500,000 Iraqis, according to various official and unofficial statistics. Classified as "guests", Iraqis are afforded essential services such as free education and access to healthcare. Around 47,000 are recognised as refugees and registered with the UNHCR.
© Jordan Times 2009
