Jordanians paste electoral posters of former Iraqi prime minister Ayad Allawi on a bridge reading, 'strong goverment, safe people, grown country ', referring to his electoral list for the Dec. 15 parliamentary elections, in Amman, Jordan. (AP Photo/Nader Daoud)
In Amman, Jordan? Why God?
Update (Dec 10th): Jordanian authorities remove posters for Iraqi polls
The Amman city council has removed campaign posters for Iraqis voting in Jordan during the election this month, saying they should be confined to the vicinity of polling stations and not plastered on walls and lampposts.
Amman Municipality official Izzedine Shammout told it was illegal to glue election posters to the city's buildings and infrastructure. He said his office had removed dozens of posters around the Jordanian capital and ordered that they be hung close to ballot centers.
Jordan's large Iraqi community will be allowed to vote in some 13 polling stations around the kingdom when Iraqis go to the polls to elect a parliament on Dec. 15. Balloting in Jordan and 14 other nations worldwide hosting Iraq's out-of-country vote opens Dec. 13 for three days.
Posters on glossy paper have been plastered on billboards, walls and lampposts across Amman since the campaign began last Thursday.
Jordan's interior ministry says there are some 400,000 Iraqi expatriates living in the kingdom. The exact number of eligible Iraqi voters here was not immediately known. But in the first Iraqi elections held last January, 6 percent of 180,000 eligible Iraqi voters in Jordan then cast their ballot, the AP reports.
{ 19 } Comments
haha this is hilarious and very strange!
I think these posters should be totally banned.
Call it ironic, pathetic, alarming… I don't know what to call it. As if we need more troubles. Imagine our Iraqi brothers and sisters in Jordan going out in demonstrations before or after the elections.
I have a bad feeling about the situation :-(
I hated it too..not because it's iraqi elections just because it's other people's elections..ba3dain ma3na?
well when i saw it i was tottaly pissed , i was like what the hell that was !?!? , i thought we were having some sorta of elections :P ,anyway
Cheerz !
Isn't it just campaigning among the expats? That is a standard feature of Western political campaigns. Why would it not happen in the Arab world?
Well, TigerHawk. The situation in Amman is very delicate after Amman explosions; in fact it was delicate even before the Iraqis exploded themselves there.
Inflation and High prices are becoming a nightmare for Jordanians. Jordanians believe (although not publicly talked about) that part of problem and the cause is from the Iraqi exapts in Jordan.
Now after the explosions, although again, Iraq as a nation is not responsible for what these terrorists did, but it is just a human nature to look down at the root of the tools, although might not be fully accountable for it.
Having said that, I think this unrest extends to the politics that is coming from Iraq. Specially that that is seen as a bad drama under occupation.
I dont see anything wrong with that. on the contrary, I find it impressive that Jordan is taking part in this (not that I'm in particular in favour of these elections).
The prices have been rising with or without Iraqis and on the contrary they are benefitting Jordan alot in all the money they are investing in.
The explosions that happened in Jordan dont have to anything with Iraqi's, and thats what Jordan is trying to show in its support.
Lets show some Arabism ;)
1) we dont have our own elections
2) this is going to call attention to the fact we dont have our own elections
3) this is going to give terrorists a new target: polling stations
4) there's 400,000 iraqis in amman who will probably vote
Promises, what is Arabism? Jordan is open for all Arab; it was always and will always be like that.
As for Iraqi investments in Jordan, I don't think that is right:
1. Iraqis didn't invest in Jordan because they like Jordan and Jordanians, but because they have no where else to go.
2. What did Jordanians benefit from Iraqis expats? Money in the banks? Or the triple house prices that they caused since they flew Iraq?
3. Jordan always supported Iraqis, before and after war. In fact during all the wars Iraq went through. So I don't think anyone can question our support to them.
4. Why on earth do I have to see the face of some foreign country politician faces hanging on my streets? For local Iraqis? They have TV. And if they care that much, let them go back to Iraq before it becomes another Palestine.
Last but not least, Arabism! I guess this term died 40 years ago. Everyone looks after his ass, and dreaming of a new United Arab, well just a dream (nightmare)
Im not questioning what Jordan has done for anyone, I dont really recall mentioning anything of that sort :???:
Does one need to invest because one loves this or that country? its a buisness world afterall, but I'll stick to my question: arent we benefitting?
Again and again, prices have been rising with or without Iraqis. Bread ring a bell? thats an example that happend long ago, the taxes in restaurants, the taxes on sweets. etc etc. And thats something substantial in a society,that they cant live without. not an apartment that I assume not anyone can afford even without the price risen.
Again, I'm not questioning Jordans support.
Thoughts dont die, only beings do. We need a paradigm shift, until that happens, I'm sure things will go much better in all arab countries, including Jordan.
I'm not saying that you are questioning Jordan support to Arab, relax :-D
On the other hand, you insist that 'we are benefiting'. Ok, how? Where? And when?
Really I like to be enlightened in this.
I know of some Bahraini, Saudi and Kuwaiti projects. They are investing billions of dollars. But have not heard of the Iraqi ones. Can you enlighten us please?
Oh Im totally relaxed, I'm so relaxed that I'm even surprising myself:p listning to chopins "Noctunre in E flat" soothes the unsoothable;)
Anyhow, here's an article Jordan times published sometime ago:
Two billion, how about that?
…use Jordan’s as hub and …Rafidain is open to Iraqi nationals only, how about that ;-)
Didn't Raifidain include Jordanians up until now?
My neighbor has made a fortune selling cars to Iraqis.
Where are they buying the cement for these buildings?
The furniture for the homes?
Private schools for their kids?
Also, maybe I am mistaken, but didn't Jordan enjoy discounted petroleum products for a substantial time period under Saddam?
I'm not mad or sarcastic or trying to be a pain, I'm just repeating what I've heard others tell me.
Because they bought furniture for their newly purchased houses in Amman, where they park some of their cars, which they bought from Jordanians and use it to drive their kids to our private schools, because of all of this they have the right to use my country streets for their electoral posters?
Why don't we also give them the right to have a permanent representation in our parliament and government? You see, we have 400,000 Iraqis in Jordan. These are more than Bahraini population!!
On the other hand, we have to draw a line between, BUYING service/product and PROVIDING a service/product.
They BUY what they need for leaving does not help the economy of my country, contrary, it adds to the responsibilities my government have to take on their shoulders to keep my bread available. You see, now 400K Iraqis are sharing my bread piece.
What adds to a country economy is investments that generate $$ that adds to the purchasing power value of my dinar.
But U.S troops who have used our land as a base will generate $$??
Ya3ni You left out the 2 billion and quoted a part that suits your case and left out the continuation which says "Rafidain, which is now open to Iraqi nationals only, could later be listed on the Jordanian bourse
Yes :-D
Thanks for the great news, Natasha!
promises, my last two cents:
"Rafidain, which is now open to Iraqi nationals only, could later be listed on the Jordanian bourse…"
Anyway, it's over now ;-)
Mabrook!Seems they have been following the blogs:p
On another note, Im actually against posters in general for whatever purpose, creates visual pollution. bekafeena al 2armaat elli 3al tal3a wel nazle:)
On topic, I am glad the posters will come down as they are an eye-sore. They should've rented bill board space, as Sha3teely mentioned. Haithim, you are becoming a mover an shaker here! Wonder who ELSE is reading your blog?
I understand the feeling of being over-run by Iraqis who would just use Jordan's resources then leave. Now you'll REALLY have to save to get that condo in Aqaba. And as Nas mentioned, it must not be pleasant to have another country's elections in your face when we can't have our own.
But for a Californian who is used to having throngs of unskilled, poor people come to my country who then I have to finance the welfare through my taxes, I think comparatively Jordan is getting a pretty good deal.
I also read recently that Jordan is now getting more USAID money that Egypt, making it the #2 recipient after Israel. You probably don't like that. But I think it is a much more worthwhile investment than Israel.
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