Jordan election: candidate killed in car crash to remain on ballot

Yahya Al Saud championed Palestinian cause and was respected by many in Jordan

Campaign banners line a road in the Jordanian capital Amman ahead of parliamentary elections on November 10, 2020. Reuters

A candidate in Jordan's parliamentary election, Yahya Al Saud, 55, was killed in a road accident on Tuesday, a week before the November 10 vote.

The spokesman for the kingdom's Independent Election Commission said on Wednesday that the electoral list to which Al Saud belonged "will not be affected in terms of the numbers, unless it is under three candidates per list". He said that a replacement will be chosen by remaining candidates.

Jihad Al Momani said that "if Mr Saud receives a large number of votes and ends up winning, the votes will be given to the candidate following him on his electoral list".

"The process of printing voting ballots will continue, and Mr Saud will remain on them. However, if a district has not yet proceeded with printing its ballots, then Mr Saud's name will be removed from his electoral list," he said.

Al Saud, who was chairman of the Palestine Committee in the Jordanian parliament, fought for Palestinian rights and against the Israeli occupation.

Palestinian campaigners and leaders, such as President Mahmoud Abbas and senior Hamas member Izzat Al Rishq, mourned his death.

Al Saud served three terms in the Jordanian parliament and was a member of the Greater Amman Municipality and chairman of the administrative board of the Islamic Centre Party.

Jordan's election commission published a list of polling and counting centres in the 23 electoral districts on Tuesday.

There are 364 women candidates in the election this year, up 44 per cent from 2016, according to election officials.