Elections held on time despite calls of delay, region's instability –– minister

AMMAN — Jordan is "persistent" on carrying on with its comprehensive reform project, which includes conducting the local twin elections on time, Minister of State for Media Affairs and Government Spokesperson Mohammad Momani said on Tuesday.

"We have refused postponing the elections until the region's conditions settle down," he said at a morning presser held at the Independent Elections Commission's (IEC) media centre at Al Hussein Youth City's Greater Amman Hall.

He noted that the previous municipal elections in 2013 were carried out by the Municipalities Ministry, while this year the local polls are handled by the IEC.

Momani underscored that questioning the transparency of the electoral process something from the past, attributing that to efforts of stakeholders, mainly the IEC.

Over 35,000 security personnel are taking part in ensuring the safety and security of the voting process, he noted.

He warned: "Any form of violence at any level will be faced by the power of the law".

Momani underlined the government's "full" support to the IEC, noting that thousands of public servants were tasked to help the IEC in facilitating the voting and vote counting processes.

Meanwhile, he urged media outlets covering the elections to observe accuracy and to validate the information before publishing.