IEC fears long holiday might affect voter turnout

AMMAN – The Independent Election Commission (IEC) will on Wednesday address the government with a request to not facilitate leaves for public sector employees on September 18 and 19, an informed source told The Jordan Times Tuesday. 

As the IEC is the sole authority in charge of the parliamentary elections slated for September 20, the agency has concerns that many Jordanians would take the two days ahead of the polls off to extend the expected long holiday of Eid Al Adha. 

The religious holiday is expected to start on September 10, and a holiday of at least five to seven days is expected, leaving a two-day gap leading to the Election Day, which will also be a holiday. Civil servants and private sector employees might seize the opportunity to travel abroad and skip the polls, the IEC fears. 

As the commission is keen to see a good turnout for the upcoming polls, it will request the government to ban leaves on those two days, the source added, indicating that an official letter in this regard will be sent to the government Wednesday.

The number of civil servants stands at around 210,000, according to official figures. The number of eligible voters is 4.5 million. 

He did not say whether the private sector would be encouraged to take a similar move.