Jordan is gearing up for a second round of voting for its new speaker of the House of Representatives, as the government grapples with an uncertain path forward following the first round in which no candidate secured a majority.
The Jordanian Parliament is preparing for another round of voting on Wednesday, and this time the vote will be by secret ballot, with each lawmaker given one vote.
In the first round of voting, which took place last Sunday, no candidate managed to acquire the 50% + 1 majority required to win the speaker position. The current speaker, Atef Tarawneh, had the most votes with 42%, followed by Salim al-Jabouri with 36%. Other candidates include Sameeh Maaytah, Jamal al-Jarrah and Haitham al-Abadi, who respectively garnered 11%, 6% and 5% of the vote.
While the second round of voting should provide more of a conclusive result, there is still much room for uncertainty. No clear favorite has emerged, and if a secret ballot is used, then it could be difficult to ascertain who is likely to win.
The political deadlock in Jordan already means that the country is facing a difficult period economically and politically, and with the speaker’s election still unresolved, it could help to prolong this. Ultimately, the outcome of this election will be key to the future of Jordan’s government, and it is important that a consensus is found quickly and peacefully.
