(MENAFN- Jordan Times) Activists hit the streets in various cities on Friday as protests over the controversial draft elections law stretched into their fourth day.
Leftists, independents and supporters of the Islamist movement joined ranks in a series of rallies in several parts of the country against the Lower House's endorsement of an "undemocratic" elections law and ongoing government austerity measures.
Under the slogan "No to the one-vote formula", activists rallied in Irbid, Salt, Tafileh and Maan to object to the bill, which they claim fails to break away from the one-person, one-vote system that favours independent candidates at the expense of political parties.
The epicentre of Friday's protests was in Karak Governorate, which hosted four separate demonstrations and marches calling for the immediate withdrawal of the draft legislation and resignation of Prime Minister Fayez Tarawneh's government over recent rises in fuel and electricity prices.
One of the lowest turnouts in Friday's protests was in the capital, where some 100 leftists and tribal activists marched in a downtown rally marked by the absence of the Muslim Brotherhood - the country's largest opposition political force.
During the brief rally, participants called for the immediate dissolution of Parliament and for directly elected governments.
The Muslim Brotherhood, which has been the most vocal opponent of the draft elections law, instead focused its efforts on the Syrian conflict, holding a sit-in outside the Syrian embassy in Amman.
During the hour-long protest, Islamists called on the authorities to expel the Syrian ambassador and throw their support behind the Free Syrian Army.
Friday's rallies marked the latest in a series of protests over the draft elections law.
Opposition figures object to articles in the law - currently before the Senate - that restrict citizens to one vote at the district level and allocate only 12 per cent of the chamber's 140 seats to proportional representation, well short of the 50 per cent demanded by opposition parties.
Parliamentary sources expect the Upper House to ratify the controversial legislation with few modifications, a move opposition movements warn will all but seal their boycott decision.
Activists say they hope the bill, along with the recent unpopular austerity measures, will boost popular support for a 17-month-old protest movement that has struggled to gain support among average Jordanians.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.