Regime loyalists projected to win Jordan vote

Preliminary results are out in Jordan’s parliamentary elections with tribal leaders, government loyalists and independent businessmen seen sweeping the voting, which was shunned by Islamists.

King Abdullah II, whose throne is not seriously thought to be under threat, had touted Wednesday’s election as a focal point for his reforms, which he said should pave the way for parliamentary government.

Among his reforms, he said that he plans for the first time to consult MPs before naming a premier, who should in turn then consult with MPs before forming a cabinet. 

The country’s largest opposition party the Muslim Brotherhood boycotted the election, saying the monarch’s measures fell far short of true democratic change and that he should not have any say at all in naming a prime minister.

The Independent Election Commission (IEC) put the final turnout at 56.6 percent of the registered electorate of 2.3mn, but the Brotherhood disputed this figure, saying there had been widespread fraud and vote-buying.

Al Jazeera’s Stefanie Dekker reports from the capital Amman.