King’s Backers Win Election Majority

Tribal leaders loyal to King Hussein won a majority in parliamentary elections marred by the lowest turnout ever and a boycott by the main opposition Islamic Action Front and eight other parties. The tribal chiefs secured at least 45 seats in the 80-member lower house of parliament, according to partial returns. Final results are expected today. Just 54.5% of the kingdom’s 1.48 million eligible voters turned out for Jordan’s third election since 1967 and the first since the country made peace with Israel in 1994. The groups boycotting the election want the treaty with Israel canceled, but they pulled out of the vote to protest what they see as erosion of parliamentary power.