Following appeared in Jordan Times

By Daoud Kuttab

“The people have spoken, the voters have decided and I bow to the will of citizens and accept the election result.”

This sentence or a variation of it is often spoken to the press by candidates who lose elections, often after having made a congratulatory phone call to the winning candidates.

For the most part, however, accepting results and taking responsibility for what happened on election day did not happen after the elections for the 17th Parliament in Jordan. Most losing candidates spent their time making accusations or complaining of voting irregularities. Many encouraged their supporters to take to the streets and riot, often causing damage to public and private property, while the Independent Elections Commission had stated clearly that those losing have a chance to go to court to contest the results. Continue Reading »

Following appeared in Jordan times.

By Daoud Kuttab

Even before a single vote was counted and results announced, it was clear who were the main winners and losers. And for the most part, they were not the candidates.

The biggest winner in the Jordanian legislative elections was the state. It bargained on the public and the international community ignoring the absence of the Islamists in the elections.

Conversely, the Islamic Action Front and some of the small secular parties that joined the boycotters are the biggest losers. By calling for a boycott without being able to make it the main story of the elections, the Islamists overreached and failed. Continue Reading »