Embassy Row: Watching Jordan
By James Morrison
The International Republican Institute is sending observers to monitor Jordan’s parliamentary elections next month, as the Hashemite kingdom is opening its elections for the first time to foreign poll watchers.
The delegation will be led by Peter Madigan, vice chairman of the IRI board of directors and a former top aide to former Secretary of State James A. Baker III.
Jordan’s King Abdullah dismissed parliament last year, when most Jordanians criticized the legislature for corruption. The king called for new elections by the end of 2010. Voters will elect a lower house that has expanded to 120 from 110 members. The new parliament will include 12 seats reserved for women.