Jordan holds parliamentary elections on Tuesday, with economic challenges dominating the campaign and Islamists running in the polls after threatening a boycott. Nearly 2.5 million Jordanians will choose their representatives from about 885 candidates, including 199 women, who are vying for a four-year term in the 110-seat lower house of parliament, with six reserved for women.
The main opposition Islamic Action Front (IAF) party, which had threatened to boycott the polls over claims that municipal elections in July were rigged, is fielding 22 candidates.
The Islamists, who won 17 parliamentary seats in the 2003 poll, have demanded independent monitors for Tuesday's election, the second under King Abdullah II.
But Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit turned down the request which he said would mean "that Jordan's transparency and electoral process is questionable."