IEC chief: Observers, a boost to electoral body

Amman: Monitoring of upcoming parliamentary elections will enhance the electoral body's work and help it address weaknesses to achieve the highest possible levels of integrity and transparency, Independent Election Commission (IEC) President Musa Maaytah said Monday. He said during a meeting with observer entities accredited to monitor the September 10 polls to elect the 20th Jordanian parliament, that local observers' participation is "a guarantor of the integrity of the electoral process and a key factor for its success." Maaytah said the IEC was keen to open the door for accreditation of monitors on the day a royal decree was issued to hold the elections, calling observers "a strategic partner" in the electoral process. Maaytah stressed the need to monitor electoral campaigns and combat fraud and vote-buying, vowing zero tolerance in enforcing the law against those who breach neutrality regulations, and said the accreditation of offenders will be canceled. He also pledged to fight electoral violence, p articularly against women to curtail their participation. Source: Jordan News Agency