AMMAN — Despite holding parliamentary elections at the end
of last year and setting a date for municipal and local elections in August of
this year, the government is yet to allow elections for professional
syndicates, after decisions to postpone them as a measure to curb the spread of
the COVID-19 pandemic.
اضافة اعلان
The open postponement of associations’ elections is drawing
mixed reactions.
Chief of the Association of Agricultural Engineers Abdulhadi
Falahat told Jordan News on Tuesday that the syndicate has demanded from
Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh about a month ago to allow them to conduct
their elections, noting that they are “legally entitled” to do so.
The association requested an urgent exception of defense
order (16), which prevents gatherings that exceed twenty people, to allow all
5,720 members of the association to conduct the elections, while abiding by
physical distancing, wearing face masks, and avoiding shaking hands, according
to Falahat.
“We had an agreement with the prime minister two months ago
to conduct the elections. Also, the pandemic is currently receding. So why
wait?” Falahat told
Jordan News.
The syndicate chief said that the minister has promised him
that elections will be permitted for associations with a small number of
members in April, while those of medium-sized associations would be allowed in
June or July, and the polls of the largest syndicates would be left till the
end of the year.
“We need to conduct the elections as soon as possible. It’s
our priority now,” he added.
Legal expert Haytham Ereifej agreed with Falahat.
“The government allowed parliamentary and municipal
elections. The double-standard measures adopted by the government are not
logical,” Ereifej told Jordan News.
On the other hand, Mohammed Rasoul Tarawneh, vice chairman
of the Committee for Exercising Powers of the Physicians Syndicate, supports
the delaying of the elections.
“Syndicate elections are not counting votes in a box, like
the parliament’s elections for example. They consist of large gatherings that
involve discussions of more than 5,000 members,” he said.
“Those who support conducting the elections apparently have
no clue how the elections are actually being held,” Tarawneh went on.
Khalid Al-Rababah, president of the Nurses Association,
opposes holding elections in the current conditions as well, as well as “every
form of gathering.”
“We’re still facing the consequences of the parliamentary
elections today. I believe all associations are functioning just fine with or
without the elections. I’m a member of the epidemiological committee and
gatherings are 100 percent unacceptable,” he told to
Jordan News.
Seven professional associations had their elections delayed
by the government’s measures last year due to COVID-19, including the
associations of lawyers, pharmacists, doctors, journalists, geologists,
artists, and veterinarians.
In 2021, four other associations had their polls postponed;
the associations of engineers, agricultural engineers, nurses, and contractors.
The decision was followed by one pushing back the vote of the Jordanian Writers
Association.
Independent Election Commission President Khaled Al-Kalaldeh
said that the new date for the elections of associations “will be determined
later.”
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